THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


A  LIST  OF  THE  ELSIE  BOOKS  AND 
OTHER  POPULAR  BOOKS 

BY 

MARTHA  FINLEY 


ELSIE  DINSMORE. 

ELSIE'S  HOLIDAYS  AT  ROSELANDS. 
ELSIE'S  GIRLHOOD. 

ELSIE'S  WOMANHOOD. 

ELSIE'S  MOTHERHOOD. 

ELSIE'S  CHILDREN. 
ELSIE'S  WIDOWHOOD. 
GRANDMOTHER  ELSIE. 

ELSIE'S  NEW  RELATIONS. 
ELSIE  AT  NANTUCKET. 
THE  TWO  ELSIES. 

ELSIE'S  KITH  AND  KIN. 
ELSIE'S  FRIENDS  AT   WOODBURN. 

CHRISTMAS  WITH  GRANDMA  ELSIE. 
ELSIE  AND  THE  RA  YMONDS. 

ELSIE  YACHTING  WITH  THE  RA  YMONDS. 
ELSIE'S  VACATION. 

ELSIE  AT  VIAMEDE. 
ELSIE  AT  ION. 

ELSIE  AT  THE  WORLD'S  FAIR. 

ELSIE'S  JOURNEY  ON  INLAND   WATERS. 
ELSIE  A  T  HOME. 

ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 
ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 


MILDRED  KEITH. 

MILDRED  AT  ROSELANDS. 

MILDRED'S  MARRIED  LIFE. 
MILDRED  AND  ELSIE. 
MILDRED  AT  HOME. 

MILDRED'S  BOYS  AND  GIRLS. 
MILDRED'S  NEW  DAUGHTER. 


CASELLA. 

SIGNING  THE  CONTRACT  AND  WHAT  IT  COST. 
THE  TRAGEDY  OF  WILD  RIVER  VALLEY. 
OUR  FRED. 

AN  OLD-FASHIONED  BOY. 
WANTED,  A  PEDIGREE. 

THE  THORN  IN  THE  NEST. 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH 


BY 

MARTHA  FINLEY 

AUTHOR  OP  THE  ELSIE  BOOKS,  THE  MILDRED  BOOKS,    "WANTED, 
A    PEDIGREE,"  ETC. 


NEW  YORK 

DODD,   MEAD  AND  COMPANY 
PUBLISHERS 


COPTRIOHT,  1899, 

BY 

DODD,  MEAD  &  COMPANY. 


All  rigkit  reserved. 


TUB  MEIWUON  OOMPAMT  PBER3, 
UAHVAT,   K.   J. 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 


CHAPTER   I. 

£2       "WHAT  a  storm!  there  will  be  no  going  out 

to-day   even    for   the   early    stroll    about   the 

f^     grounds  with  papa,"  sighed  Lucilla  Raymond 

one  December  morning,  as  she  lay  for  a  moment 

listening  to  the  dash  of  rain  and  sleet  against 

:»     her  bedroom  windows.     "  Ah,  well!  I  must  not 

w     fret,  knowing  who  appoints  the  changes  of  the 

i    seasons,  and  that  all  He  does  is  for  the  best," 

her  thoughts  ran  on.     "  Besides,  what  pleasures 

g     we  can  all  have  within  doors  in  this  sweetest  of 

*     homes  and  with  the  dearest  and  kindest   of 

&     fathers! " 

With  that  she  left  her  bed  and  began  the 
%     duties  of  the  toilet,  first  softly  closing  the  com 
municating  door  between  her  own  and  her  sis 
ter's  Bleeping  apartments  lest  she  should  dis- 

443311 


2  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

turb  Grace's  slumbers,  then  turning  on  the  elec 
tric  light  in  both  bedroom  and  bathroom,  for, 
though  after  six,  it  was  still  dark. 

The  clock  on  the  mantel  struck  seven  before 
she  was  quite  through  with  these  early  morning 
duties,  but  the  storm  had  in  no  wise  abated  in 
violence,  and  as  she  heard  it  she  felt  sure  that 
out-door  exercise  was  entirely  out  of  the  ques 
tion. 

"  And  I'll  not  see  Chester  to-day,"  she  sighed 
half -aloud.  "  It  was  evident  when  he  was  here 
last  night  that  he  had  taken  a  cold,  and  I  hope 
he  won't  think  of  venturing  out  in  such 
weather  as  this." 

Just  then  the  door  into  Grace's  room  opened 
and  her  sweet  voice  said,  "  Good-morning,  Lu. 
As  usual,  you  are  up  and  dressed  before  your 
lazy  younger  sister  has  begun  the  duties  of  the 
toilet." 

"  Take  care  what  you  say,  young  woman," 
laughed  Lucilla,  facing  round  upon  her.  "  I 
am  not  going  to  have  my  delicate  younger  sis 
ter  slandered  in  that  fashion.  She  is  much  too 
feeble  to  leave  her  bed  at  the  early  hour  which 
suits  her  older  and  stronger  sister." 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  3 

"  Very  kind  in  you  to  see  it  in  that  light," 
laughed  Grace.  "  But  I  must  make  haste  now 
with  my  dressing.  Papa  may  be  coming  in 
directly,  for  it  is  certainly  much  too  stormy  for 
him  and  you  to  take  your  usual  stroll  in  the 
grounds." 

"  It  certainly  is,"  assented  Lu.  "  Just  listen 
to  the  hail  and  rain  dashing  against  tne  win 
dows.  And  there  comes  papa  now,"  she  added, 
as  a  tap  was  heard  at  their  sitting-room  door. 

She  ran  to  open  it  and  receive  the  fatherly 
caress  that  always  accompanied  his  morning 
greeting  to  each  one  of  his  children. 

"Grace  is  not  up  yet?"  he  said  inquiringly, 
as  he  took  possession  of  an  easy-chair. 

"Yes,  papa,  but  not  dressed  yet;  so  that  I 
shall  have  you  to  myself  for  a  while,"  returned 
Lu  in  a  cheery  tone  and  seating  herself  on  an 
ottoman  at  his  knee. 

"A  great  privilege  that,"  he  said  with  a 
smile,  passing  a  hand  caressingly  over  her  hair 
as  he  spoke.  "  It  is  storming  hard,  so  that  you 
and  I  must  do  without  our  usual  early  exercise 
about  the  grounds." 

"  Yes,  sir;  and  I  am  sorry  to  miss  it,  though 


4  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

a  chat  with,  my  father  here  and  now  is  not  so 
bad  an  exchange/' 

"  I  think  we  usually  have  that  along  with  the 
walk,"  he  said,  smiling  down  into  the  eyes  that 
were  gazing  so  lovingly  up  into  his. 

"  Yes,  sir,  so  we  do;  and  you  always  manage 
to  make  the  shut-in  days  very  enjoyable." 

"  It  is  what  I  wish  to  do.  Lessons  can  go  on 
as  usual  with  you  and  Grace  as  well  as  with  the 
younger  ones,  and  after  that  we  can  have  read 
ing,  music,  and  quiet  games." 

"And  Grace  and  I  have  some  pretty  fancy 
work  to  do  for  Christmas  time/' 

"Ah,  yes!  and  I  presume  you  will  both  be 
glad  to  have  a  little — or  a  good  deal — of  extra 
money  with  which  to  purchase  gifts  or  ma 
terials  for  making  them." 

"If  you  feel  quite  able  to  spare  it,  father," 
she  returned  with  a  pleased  smile;  "  but  not  if 
it  will  make  you  feel  in  the  least  cramped  for 
what  you  want  to  spend  yourself." 

"  I  can  easily  spare  you  each  a  hundred  dol 
lars,"  he  said  in  a  cheery  tone.  "  Will  that  be 
enough,  do  you  think?  " 

"  Oh,    I    shall   feel   rich! "    she   exclaimed. 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  5 

"  How  very  good,  kind,  and  liberal  you  are  to 
us  and  all  your  children,  papa." 

"  And  fortunate  in  being  able  to  be  liberal  to 
my  dear  ones.  There  is  no  greater  pleasure 
than  that  of  gratifying  them  in  all  right  and 
reasonable  desires.  I  think  that  as  soon  as  the 
weather  is  suitable  for  a  visit  to  the  city  we  will 
take  a  trip  there  for  a  day's  shopping.  Have 
you  and  Grace  decided  upon  any  particular 
articles  that  you  would  like  to  give?  " 

"  We  have  been  doing  some  bits  of  fancy 
work,  father,  and  making  up  some  warm  cloth 
ing  for  the  old  folks  and  children  among  our 
poor  neighbors — both  white  and  colored;  also 
a  few  things  for  our  house  servants.  And  to 
let  you  into  a  secret,"  she  added  with  a  smile 
and  a  blush,  "  I  am  embroidering  some  hand 
kerchiefs  for  Chester." 

"  Ah,  that  is  right!  "  he  said.  "  Chester  will 
value  a  bit  of  your  handiwork  more  than  any 
thing  else  that  you  could  bestow  upon  him." 

"Except  perhaps  the  hand  itself,"  she  re 
turned  with  a  low,  gleeful  laugh. 

"  But  that  he  knows  he  cannot  have  for 
some  time,"  her  father  said,  taking  in  his  the 


6  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

one  resting  on  the  arm  of  his  chair.  "  This 
belongs  to  me  at  present  and  it  is  my  fixed  pur 
pose  to  hold  it  in  possession  for  at  least  some 
months  to  come." 

"  Yes,  sir;  I  know  that  and  highly  approve  of 
your  intention.  Please  never  give  up  your 
claim  to  your  eldest  daughter  so  long  as  we  both 
live." 

"  No,  daughter,  nothing  is  further  from  my 
thoughts,"  he  said  with  a  smile  that  was  full  of 
affection. 

"What  do  you  want  from  Santa  Glaus, 
papa?  "  she  asked. 

"Really,  I  have  not  considered  that  ques 
tion,"  he  laughed;  "but  anything  my  daugh 
ters  choose  to  give  me  will  be  highly  appreci 
ated." 

"It  is  pleasant  to  know  that,  father  dear; 
and  now  please  tell  me  what  you  think  would 
be  advisable  to  get  for  Mamma  Vi,  Elsie,  and 
Ned." 

That  question  was  under  discussion  for  some 
time,  and  the  conclusion  was  arrived  at  that  it 
could  not  be  decided  until  their  visit  to  the  city 
stores  to  see  what  might  be  offered  there.  Then 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  7 

Grace  joined  them,  exchanged  greetings  and 
caresses  with  her  father,  and  as  the  call  to 
breakfast  came  at  that  moment,  the  three  went 
down  together,  meeting  Violet  and  the  younger 
children  on  the  way. 

They  were  a  cheerful  party,  all  at  the  table 
seeming  to  enjoy  their  meal  and  chatting  pleas 
antly  as  they  ate.  Much  of  their  talk  was  of 
the  approaching  Christmas  and  what  gifts 
would  be  appropriate  for  different  ones  and 
likely  to  prove  acceptable. 

"  Can't  we  send  presents  to  brother  Max, 
papa?  "  asked  Ned. 

"  Hardly,  I  think,"  was  the  reply,  "  but  we 
can  give  him  some  when  he  comes  home  next 
month." 

"  And  he'll  miss  all  the  good  times  the  rest 
of  us  have.  It's  just  too  bad!  "  replied  Ned. 

"  We  will  try  to  have  some  more  good  times 
when  he  is  with  us,"  said  the  captain  cheerily. 

"Oh,  so  we  can!"  was  Neddie's  glad  response. 

The  captain  and  the  young  people  spent  the 
morning  in  the  schoolroom  as  usual.  In  the 
afternoon  Dr.  Conly  called.  "  I  came  in  prin 
cipally  on  your  account,  Lu,"  he  said,  when 


8  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

greetings  had  been  exchanged.  "  Chester  has 
taken  a  rather  severe  cold  so  that  I,  as  his  physi 
cian,  have  ordered  him  to  keep  within  doors  for 
the  present;  which  he  deeply  regrets  because  it 
cuts  him  off  from  his  daily  visits  here." 

"  Oh,  is  he  very  ill?  "  she  asked,  vainly  try 
ing  to  make  her  tones  quite  calm  and  indif 
ferent. 

"  Oh,  no!  only  in  danger  of  becoming  so  un 
less  he  takes  good  care  of  himself." 

"And  you  will  see  to  it  that  he  does  so, 
Cousin  Arthur? "  Violet  said  in  a  sprightly, 
half-inquiring  tone. 

"  Yes;  so  far  as  I  can,"  returned  the  doctor, 
with  a  slight  smile.  "  My  patients,  unfortu 
nately,  are  not  always  careful  to  obey  orders." 

"When  they  don't  the  doctor  cannot  be  justly 
blamed  for  any  failure  to  recover,"  remarked 
the  captain.  "  But  I  trust  Chester  will  show 
himself  docile  and  obedient." 

"Which  I  dare  say  he  will  if  Lu  sides 
strongly  with  the  doctor,"  Grace  remarked,  giv 
ing  Lucilla  an  arch  look  and  smile. 

"  My  influence,  if  I  have  any,  shall  all  be  on 
that  side,"  was  Lucilla's  quiet  rejoinder.  "  He 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  9 

and  I  might  have  a  bit  of  chat  over  the  tele 
phone,  if  he  is  able  to  go  to  it." 

"  Able  enough  for  that,"  said  the  doctor, 
"  but  too  hoarse,  I  think,  to  make  himself  intel 
ligible.  However,  you  can  talk  to  him,  bidding 
him  to  be  careful,  and  for  your  sake  to  follow 
the  doctor's  directions." 

"  Of  course  I  shall  do  that,"  she  returned 
laughingly,  "  and  surely  he  will  not  venture  to 
disregard  my  orders." 

"  Not  while  he  is  a  lover  and  liable  to  be  sent 
adrift  by  his  lady-love,"  said  Violet,  in  sportive 
tone. 

Just  then  the  telephone  bell  rang  and  the 
captain  and  Lulu  hastened  to  it. 

It  proved  to  be  Mrs.  Dinsmore  of  the  Oaks, 
who  called  to  them  with  a  message  from  Ches 
ter  to  his  affianced — a  kindly  greeting,  a  hope 
that  she  and  all  the  family  were  well,  and  an 
expression  of  keen  regret  that  he  was,  and  prob 
ably  would  be  for  some  days,  unable  to  pay  his 
accustomed  visit  to  Woodburn. 

"  There,  daughter,  take  your  place  and  re 
ply  as  you  deem  fit,"  said  Captain  Raymond, 
stepping  aside  from  the  instrument. 


10  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

Lucilla  at  once  availed  herself  of  the  permis 
sion. 

"  Aunt  Sue/'  she  called,  "  please  tell  Chester 
we  are  all  very  sorry  for  his  illness,  but  hope  he 
may  soon  be  well.  We  think  he  will  if  he  is 
careful  to  follow  the  doctor's  directions.  And 
when  this  storm  ia  over  probably  some  of  us 
will  call  at  the  Oaks  to  inquire  concerning  his 
welfare." 

A  moment's  silence;  then  came  the  reply. 
"  Chester  says,  thank  you;  he  will  be  glad  to 
see  any  or  all  of  the  Woodburn  people;  but  you 
must  not  venture  out  till  the  storm  is  over." 

"  We  won't,"  returned  Lucilla.  "  Good-by." 
And  she  and  her  father  returned  to  the  parlor 
where  they  had  left  the  others,  with  their  re 
port  of  the  interview. 

Two  stormy  days  followed;  then  came  one 
that  was  bright  and  clear  and  they  gladly 
availed  themselves  of  the  opportunity  to  go  to 
the  city,  do  their  Christmas  shopping,  and  call 
at  the  Oaks  on  their  return.  They  reached 
home  tired,  but  in  excellent  spirits,  having  been 
very  successful  in  making  their  purchases,  and 
found  Chester  recovering  from  his  cold. 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  11 

From  that  day  until  Christmas  time  the 
ladies  and  little  girls  of  the  connection  were 
very  busy  in  preparing  gifts  for  their  dear  ones; 
Grandma  Elsie  as  well  as  the  rest.  She  did  not 
come  so  often  to  Woodburn  as  was  her  custom, 
and  the  visits  she  did  make  were  short  and 
hurried. 

Chester  was  a  more  frequent  caller  after  par 
tially  recovering  from  his  cold,  but  even  while 
he  was  there  Lucilla  worked  busily  with  her 
needle,  though  never  upon  the  gift  intended 
for  him.  She  now  wore  and  highly  prized  a 
beautiful  diamond  ring  which  he  had  given  her 
in  token  of  their  betrothal,  though  she  had  told 
him  at  the  time  of  its  bestowal  that  she  feared 
it  had  cost  more  than  he  could  well  afford.  At 
which  he  laughed,  telling  her  that  nothing 
could  be  too  good  or  expensive  for  one  so  lovely 
and  charming  as  herself. 

"  In  your  partial  eyes,"  she  returned  with  a 
smile.  "  Ah,  it  is  very  true  that  love  is  blind. 
Oh,  Chester!  I  often  wonder  what  you  ever 
found  to  fancy  in  me!  " 

In  reply  to  that  he  went  over  quite  a  list  of 
the  attractive  qualities  he  had  discovered  in  her. 


12  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

"Ah/'  she  laughed,  "you  are  not  blind  to 
my  perhaps  imaginary  good  qualities,  but  see 
them  through  multiplying  glasses;  which  is  cer 
tainly  very  kind  in  you.  But,  oh,  dear!  I'm 
afraid  you'll  find  out  your  mistake  one  of  these 
days! " 

"Don't  be  disturbed.  I'll  risk  it,"  he 
laughed.  Then  added  more  seriously,  "  Oh, 
Lu,  darling,  I  think  I'm  a  wonderfully  fortu 
nate  fellow  in  regard  to  the  matter  of  my  suit 
for  your  heart  and  hand." 

"  I  wish  you  may  never  see  cause  to  change 
your  mind,  you  dear  boy!  "  she  said,  glad  tears 
springing  to  her  eyes,  "  but  ah,  me!  I  fear  you 
will  when  you  know  me  better." 

"  Ah,"  he  said  teasingly,  "  considering  our 
long  and  rather  intimate  acquaintance,  I  think 
you  are  not  giving  me  credit  for  any  great 
amount  of  discernment." 

"  Well,"  she  laughed,  "  as  regards  my  faults 
and  failings  probably  the  less  you  have  of  that 
the  better  for  me." 

They  were  alone  in  the  library  and  the  house 
was  very  quiet,  most  of  the  family  having  al 
ready  retired  to  their  sleeping  rooms. 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  13 

Presently  Captain  Raymond  came  in,  saying 
with  his  pleasant  smile,  "  I  should  be  sorry  to 
seem  inhospitable,  Chester,  but  it  is  growing 
late  and  I  am  loath  to  have  my  daughter  lose 
her  beauty  sleep.  Don't  for  a  moment  think  I 
want  to  hurry  you  away  from  Woodburn, 
though;  the  room  you  occupied  during  your 
illness  is  at  your  service  and  you  are  a  most  wel 
come  guest." 

"  Many  thanks,  captain;  but  I  think  I  should 
go  back  to  the  Oaks  at  once  lest  someone  should 
be  waiting  up  for  me.  I  should  have  brought 
my  night  key,  but  neglected  to  do  so,"  Chester 
replied,  and  in  a  few  minutes  took  leave. 

The  captain  secured  the  door  after  him,  then, 
turned  to  Lucilla,  saying: 

"Now,  daughter,  you  may  bid  me  good 
night,  then  make  prompt  preparations  for  bed." 

"Oh,  papa,  let  me  stay  five  minutes  with 
you,"  she  entreated.  "  See,  I  have  something 
to  show  you,"  holding  out  her  hand  in  a  way 
to  display  Chester's  gift  to  advantage. 

Her  father  took  the  hand  in  his.  "Ah,  an 
engagement  ring! "  he  said  with  a  smile;  "  and 
a  very  handsome  one  it  is.  Well,  dear  child,  I 


14  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

hope  it  may  always  have  most  pleasant  associa 
tions  to  you." 

"  I  should  enjoy  it  more  if  I  were  quite  sure 
Chester  could  well  afford  it,"  she  said  with  a 
half  sigh. 

"  Don't  let  that  trouble  you,"  said  her  father. 
*'  Chester  is  doing  very  well,  and  probably  your 
father  will  be  able  to  give  some  assistance  to 
you  and  him  at  the  beginning  of  your  career  as 
a  married  couple.  Should  Providence  spare 
me  my  present  income,  my  dear  eldest  daughter 
shall  not  be  a  portionless  bride." 

"  Papa,  you  are  very,  very  good  to  me!  "  she 
exclaimed  with  emotion,  "  the  very  dearest  and 
best  of  fathers!  I  can  hardly  bear  to  think  of 
living  away  from  you,  even  though  it  may  not 
be  miles  distant." 

"  Dear  child,"  he  said,  drawing  her  into  his 
arms,  "  I  do  not  intend  it  shall  be  even  one  mile. 
My  plan  is  to  build  a  house  for  you  and  Chester 
right  here  on  the  estate,  over  yonder  in  the 
grove.  Some  day  in  the  near  future  we  three 
will  go  together  and  select  the  exact  spot." 

"  Oh,  papa,  what  a  delightful  idea! "  she  ex 
claimed,  looking  up  into  his  face  with  eyes 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  15 

dancing  with  pleasure;  "  for  I  may  hope  to  see 
almost  as  much  of  you  as  I  do  now,  living  in 
the  same  house." 

"  Yes,  daughter  mine;  that  is  why  I  want  to 
have  your  home  so  near.  Now  bid  me  good 
night  and  get  to  bed  with  all  speed,"  he  con 
cluded  with  a  tender  caress. 


CHAPTER  II. 

"  THEY  are  going  to  have  a  Christmas  tree  at 
Ion,  one  at  Fairview,  one  at  Roselands,  and  I 
suppose  one  at  the  Oaks,"  remarked  Ned  Ray 
mond  one  morning  at  the  breakfast  table.  "  But 
I  guess  folks  think  Elsie  and  I  have  grown  too 
old  for  such  things,"  he  added  in  a  tone  of 
melancholy  resignation  and  with  a  slight  sigh. 

"  A  very  sensible  conclusion,  my  son,"  said 
the  captain  cheerfully,  with  a  twinkle  of  amuse 
ment  in  his  eye.  "  But  now  that  you  have 
grown  so  manly  you  can  enjoy  more  than  ever 
giving  to  others.  The  presents  you  have 
bought  for  your  little  cousins  can  be  sent  to  be 
put  on  their  trees,  those  for  the  poor  to  the 
schoolhouses;  and  if  you  choose  you  can  be 
there  to  see  the  pleasure  with  which  they  are  re 
ceived.  Remember  what  the  Bible  says:  '  It 
is  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive/  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  so  it  is!  "  cried  the  little  fellow,  hia 

16 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  17 

face  brightening  very  much.  "I  do  like  to 
give  presents  and  see  how  pleased  folks  look 
that  get  them." 

"  And  as  papa  is  so  liberal  to  all  of  us  in  the 
matter  of  pocket  money,  we  can  every  one  of  us 
have  that  pleasure,"  said  Grace. 

"  Yes;  and  I  know  we're  going  to,"  laughed 
Ned.  "  We  didn't  go  so  many  times  to  the 
city  and  stay  so  long  there  for  nothing.  And 
I  don't  believe  grandma  and  papa  and  mamma 
did  either." 

"  No,"  said  his  mother;  "  and  I  don't  believe 
anybody — children,  friend,  relative,  servant,  or 
poor  neighbor — will  find  himself  neglected. 
And  I  am  inclined  to  think  the  gifts  will  be  en 
joyed  even  if  we  have  no  tree." 

"  Oh,  yes,  mamma!  and  I'm  glad  to  be  the 
big  fellow  that  I  am,  even  if  it  does  make  me 
have  to  give  up  some  of  the  fun  I  had  when  I 
was  small,"  Ned  remarked  with  an  air  of  satis 
faction. 

"  And  to-night  will  be  Christmas  Eve,  won't 
it,  papa?  "  asked  Elsie. 

"  Yes,  daughter;  and  some  of  us  will  be  going 
this  afternoon  to  trim  the  tree  in  the  school- 


18  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

house.  Do  you,  Elsie  and  Ned,  want  to  be  of 
the  party?" 

"  Oh,  yes,  sir!  yes,  indeed! "  was  the  joyous 
answering  exclamation  of  both.  Then  Elsie 
asked:  "Are  you  going  too,  mamma?  Sisters 
Lu  and  Grade  too?"  glancing  inquiringly  at 
them. 

All  three  replied  that  they  would  like  to  go, 
but  had  some  work  to  finish  at  home. 

A  part  of  that  work  was  the  trimming  of  the 
tree,  which  was  brought  in  and  set  up  after  the 
departure  of  the  captain,  Elsie,  and  Ned  for  the 
schoolhouse. 

Violet's  brothers,  Harold  and  Herbert,  came 
in  and  gave  their  assistance  as  they  had  done 
some  years  before  when  Max,  Lucilla,  and 
Grace  had  been  the  helpers  of  their  father  at 
the  schoolhouse.  The  young  girls  had  enjoyed 
that,  but  this  was  even  better,  as  those  for  whom 
its  fruits  were  intended  were  nearer  and  dearer. 
They  had  a  merry,  happy  time  embellishing  the 
tree  with  many  ornaments,  and  hanging  here 
and  there  mysterious  packages,  each  carefully 
wrapped  and  labelled  with  the  name  of  its  in 
tended  recipient. 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  19 

"  There! "  said  Violet  at  length,  stepping 
back  a  little  and  taking  a  satisfied  survey,  "  I 
think  we  have  finished." 

"Not  quite,"  said  Harold.  "But  you  and 
the  girls  may  please  retire  while  Herbert  and  I 
attend  to  some  small  commissions  of  our  good 
brother — the  captain." 

"  Ah!  I  was  not  aware  that  he  had  given  you 
any,"  laughed  Violet.  "  But  come,  girls,  we 
will  slip  away  and  leave  them  to  their  own  de 
vices." 

"  I  am  entirely  willing  to  do  so,"  returned 
Lucilla  gayly,  following  in  her  wake  as  she  left 
the  room. 

"I,  too,"  said  Grace,  hastening  after  them, 
"  for  one  never  loses  by  falling  in  with  papa's 
plans." 

"What  is  it,  Harold?"  asked  Herbert. 
"  The  captain  has  not  let  me  into  his  secret." 

"  Only  that  his  gifts  to  them — his  wife  and 
daughters — are  in  this  closet  and  to  be  taken 
out  now  and  added  to  the  fruits  of  this  won 
drous  tree,"  replied  Harold,  taking  a  key  from 
his  pocket  and  unlocking  a  closet  door. 

"Ah!    something    sizable,    I    should    say," 


20  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

laughed  Herbert,  as  four  large  pasteboard 
boxes  came  into  view. 

"  Yes;  what  do  you  suppose  they  contain?  " 
returned  his  brother,  as  they  drew  them  out. 
"  Ah,  this  top  one — somewhat  smaller  than  the 
others — bears  little  Elsie's  name,  I  see,  and  the 
other  three  must  be  for  Vi,  Lu,  and  Grace. 
Probably  they  are  new  cloaks  or  some  sort  of 
wraps." 

"Altogether  likely,"  assented  Herbert. 
<l  Well,  when  they  are  opened  in  the  course  of 
the  evening,  we  shall  see  how  good  a  guess  we 
have  made.  And  here,"  taking  a  little  package 
from  his  pocket,  "is  something  Chester  com 
mitted  to  my  care  as  his  Christmas  gift  to  his 
betrothed." 

"  Ah!  do  you  know  what  it  is?  " 

"Not  I,"  laughed  Herbert,  "but  though  a 
great  deal  smaller  than  her  father's  present,  it 
may  be  worth  more  as  regards  moneyed  value." 

"  Yes;  and  possibly  more  as  regards  the  giver; 
though  Lu  is  evidently  exceedingly  fond  of  her 
father." 

"Yes,  indeed!  as  all  his  children  are  and 
have  abundant  reason  to  be." 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  21 

Herbert  hung  the  small  package  on  a  high 
branch,  then  said:  "These  large  boxes  we  will 
pile  at  the  foot  of  the  tree;  Vi's  at  the  bottom, 
Elsie's  at  the  top,  the  other  two  in  between." 

"A  very  good  arrangement,"  assented  Her 
bert,  assisting  him. 

"  There,  we  have  quite  finished  and  I  feel 
pretty  well  satisfied  with  the  result  of  our 
labors,"  said  Harold,  stepping  a  little  away 
from  the  tree  and  scanning  it  critically  from 
top  to  bottom. 

"  Yes,"  assented  Herbert,  "  it  is  about  as  at 
tractive  a  Christmas  tree  as  I  ever  saw.  It  is 
nearing  tea  time  now  and  the  captain  and  the 
children  will  doubtless  soon  return.  I  think  I 
shall  accept  his  and  Vi's  invitation  to  stay  to 
that  meal;  as  you  will,  will  you  not?  " 

"  Yes;  if  no  call  comes  for  my  services  else 
where."  And  with  that  they  went  out,  Harold 
locking  the  door  and  putting  the  key  into  his 
pocket. 

They  found  the  ladies  in  one  of  the  parlors 
and  chatted  there  with  them  until  the  Wood- 
burn  carriage  was  seen  coming  up  the  drive. 
It  drew  up  before  the  door  and  presently  Elsie 


22  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

and  Ned  came  bounding  in,  merry  and  full  of 
talk  about  all  they  had  done  and  seen  at  the 
schoolhouse. 

"  We  had  just  got  all  the  things  on  the  tree 
when  the  folks  began  to  come/'  Elsie  said: 
"  and  oh,  Mamma,  it  was  nice  to  see  how  glad 
they  were  to  get  their  presents!  I  heard  one 
little  girl  say  to  another,  'this  is  the  purtiest 
bag,  with  the  purtiest  candy  and  the  biggest 
orange  ever  I  seed.'  And  the  one  she  was  talk 
ing  to  said,  'Yes,  and  so's  mine.  And  aint 
these  just  the  goodest  cakes! '  After  that  they 
each — each  of  the  girls  in  the  school  I  mean — 
had  two  pair  of  warm  stockings  and  a  woollen 
drees  given  them,  and  they  went  wild  with  de- 
light." 

"  Yes;  and  the  boys  were  just  as  pleased  with 
their  coats  and  shoes,"  said  Ned.  "And  the 
old  folks  too  with  what  they  got,  I  guess.  I 
heard  some  of  them  thank  papa  and  say  he  was 
a  very  good,  kind  gentleman." 

"  As  we  all  think,"  said  Violet,  with  a  pleased 
Bmile.  "  But  come  upstairs  with  me  now;  for 
it  is  almost  tea  time  and  you  need  to  be  made 
neat  for  your  appearance  at  the  table." 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  23 

They  were  a  merry  party  at  the  tea  table  and 
enjoyed  their  fare,  but  did  not  linger  long  over 
it.  On  leaving  the  table,  Violet  led  the  way  to 
the  room  where  she,  her  brothers,  and  Lucilla 
and  Grace  had  been  so  busy;  Harold  produced 
the  key  and  threw  the  door  open,  giving  all  a 
view  of  the  Christmas  tree  with  its  tempting 
fruits  and  glittering  ornaments. 

Ned,  giving  a  shout  of  delight,  rushed  in  to 
take  a  nearer  view,  Elsie  following  close  in  his 
wake,  the  older  ones  not  far  behind  her.  Chris 
tine,  having  another  key  to  the  door,  had  been 
there  before  them  and  lighted  up  the  room  and 
the  tree  so  that  it  could  be  seen  to  the  very  best 
advantage. 

"  Oh,  what  a  pile  of  big,  big  boxes! "  ex 
claimed  Elsie.  "  And  there's  my  name  on  the 
top  one!  Oh,  papa,  may  I  open  it?  " 

His  only  reply  was  a  smile  as  he  threw  off  the 
lid  and  lifted  out  a  very  handsome  baby  astra 
khan  fur  coat. 

"  Oh!  oh!  "  she  cried,  "  is  it  for  me,  papa?  " 

"  If  it  fits  you,"  he  replied.  "  Let  me  help 
you  to  try  it  on."  He  suited  the  action  to  the 
word,  while  Harold  lifted  the  box  and  pointing 


24  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

to  the  next  one,  said,  "  This  seems  to  be  yours, 
Grade.  Shall  I  lift  the  lid  for  you?  " 

"Oh,  yes,  if  you  please,"  she  cried.  "Oh! 
oh!  one  for  me  too!  Oh,  how  lovely! "  as  an 
other  baby  astrakhan  fur  coat  came  to  light. 

He  put  it  about  her  shoulders  while  Harold 
lifted  away  that  box  and,  pointing  to  the  ad 
dress  on  the  next,  asked  Lucilla  if  he  should 
open  that  for  her. 

"  Yes,  indeed!  if  you  please,"  she  answered, 
her  eyes  shining  with  pleasure. 

He  did  so  at  once,  bringing  to  light  a  very 
handsome  sealskin  coat. 

"  Oh,  how  lovely!  how  lovely! "  she  ex 
claimed,  examining  it  critically.  "  Papa,  thank 
you  ever  so  much!  " 

"  You  are  heartilv  welcome,  daughters,  both 
of  you,"  he  said;  for  Grace  too  was  pouring 
out  her  thanks,  her  lovely  blue  eyes  sparkling 
with  delight. 

And  now  Violet's  box  yielded  up  its  treasure 
— a  mate  to  Lu's — and  she  joined  the  young 
girls  in  their  thanks  to  the  giver  and  expres 
sions  of  appreciation  of  the  gift. 

"  Here,  Lu,  I  see  this  bears  your  name,"  said 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  25 

Harold,  taking  a  small  package  from  the  tree 
and  handing  it  to  her.  She  took  it,  opened  it, 
and  held  up  to  view  a  beautiful  gold  chain  and 
locket.  As  she  opened  the  latter,  "  From  Chea 
ter,"  she  said  with  a  blush  and  a  smile,  "and 
oh,  what  a  good  likeness!  "  V 

"  His  own?  "  asked  Violet.  "  Ah,  yes!  and  a 
most  excellent  one,"  she  added,  as  Lucilla  held 
it  out  for  her  inspection. 

All,  as  they  crowded  around  to  look,  ex- 
pressed  the  same  opinion. 

"  Oh,  here's  another  big  bundle!  "  exclaimed 
Ned;  "  and  with  your  name,  mamma,  on  it! 
And  it's  from  grandma.  See!  "  pointing  to  the 
label. 

"  Let  me  open  it  for  you,  my  dear,"  said  the 
captain,  and  doing  so  brought  to  light  a  table 
cloth  and  dozen  napkins  of  finest  damask,  with 
Violet's  initials  beautifully  embroidered  in  the 
corner  of  each. 

"  Oh,  they  are  lovely! "  she  said  with  a  look 
of  delight,  "  and  worth  twice  as  much  for  hav 
ing  such  specimens  of  mamma's  work  upon 
them.  I  know  of  nothing  she  could  have  given 
me  which  I  would  have  prized  more  highly." 


26  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

There  was  still  more — a  great  deal  more  fruit 
upon  that  wonderful  tree;  various  games,  books, 
and  toys  for  the  children  of  the  family  and 
the  servants;  suitable  gifts  for  the  parents  of 
the  latter,  useful  and  handsome  articles  for 
Christine  and  Alma,  and  small  remembrances 
for  different  members  of  the  family  from  rela 
tives  and  friends. 

Chester  joined  them  before  the  distribution 
was  quite  over  and  was  highly  pleased  with  his 
share,  especially  the  handkerchiefs  embroidered 
by  the  deft  fingers  of  his  betrothed. 

The  captain  too  seemed  greatly  pleased  with 
his  as  well  as  with  various  other  gifts  from  his 
wife,  children,  and  friends. 

The  distribution  over,  Violet's  brothers  has 
tened  to  Ion  to  go  through  a  similar  scene  there. 
And  much  the  same  thing  was  in  progress  at 
the  home  of  each  of  the  other  families  of  the 
connection. 

Grandma  Elsie's  gift  to  each  daughter,  in 
cluding  Zoe,  was  similar  to  that  given  to  Violet, 
tablecloth  and  napkins  of  the  finest  damask, 
embroidered  by  her  own  hands  with  the  initials 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  27 

of  the  recipient — a  most  acceptable  present  to 
each. 

Ned  had  received  a  number  of  very  gratifying 
presents  and  considered  himself  as  having  fared 
well;  but  Christmas  morning  brought  him  a 
glad  surprise.  When  breakfast  and  family 
worship  were  over  his  father  called  him  to  the 
outer  door  and  pointing  to  a  handsome  pony 
grazing  near  at  hand,  said  in  his  pleasant  tones, 
"  There  is  a  Christmas  gift  from  Captain  Ray 
mond  to  his  youngest  son.  What  do  you  think 
of  it,  my  boy?  " 

"  Oh,  papa,"  cried  the  little  fellow,  clapping 
his  hands  joyously,  "  thank  you,  thank  you! 
It's  just  the  very  best  present  you  could  have 
thought  of  for  me!  He's  a  little  beauty  and 
I'll  be  just  as  good  to  him  as  I  know  how  to  be." 

"  I  hope  so  indeed,"  said  his  father;  "  and  if 
you  wish  you  may  ride  him  over  to  Ion  this 
morning." 

"  Oh,  yes,  papa!  but  mayn't  I  ride  him  about 
here  a  while  just  now,  so  as  to  be  sure  I'll  know 
how  to  manage  him  on  the  road?  " 

"Why,  yes;  I  think  that's  a  good  idea;  but 


28  ELSIE  IN  TEE  SOUTH. 

first  put  on  your  overcoat  and  cap.  The  air  is 
too  cool  for  a  ride  without  them." 

"  Oh,  mamma  and  sisters!  "  cried  Ned,  turn 
ing  about  to  find  them  standing  near  as  most 
interested  spectators,  "  haven't  I  got  just  the 
finest  of  all  the  Christmas  gifts  from  papa?  " 

"  The  very  best  for  you,  I  think,  sonny  boy," 
returned  his  mother,  giving  him  a  hug  and  a 
kiss. 

"And  we  are  all  very  glad  for  you,"  said 
Grace. 

"  I  as  well  as  the  rest,  dear  Ned,"  added  Elsie, 
her  eyes  shining  with  pleasure. 

"And  we  expect  you  to  prove  yourself  a 
brave  and  gallant  horseman,  very  kind  and 
affectionate  to  your  small  steed,"  added  Lucilla, 
looking  with  loving  appreciation  into  the  glad 
young  face. 

"  Yes,  indeed,  I  do  mean  to  be  ever  so  good 
to  him,"  rejoined  the  little  lad,  rushing  to  the 
hat-stand  and,  with  his  mother's  help,  hastily 
assuming  his  overcoat  and  cap.  "I'm  all 
ready,  papa,"  he  shouted  the  next  moment,  rac 
ing  out  to  the  veranda  where  the  captain  was 
giving  directions  to  a  servant. 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  2» 

"  Yes,  my  son,  and  so  shall  I  be  when  I  have 
slipped  on  my  coat  and  cap,"  returned  his 
father,  taking  them,  with  a  smile  of  approval, 
from  Lucilla,  who  had  just  brought  them. 

The  next  half  hour  passed  very  delightfully 
to  little  Ned,  learning  under  his  father's  in 
struction  to  manage  skilfully  his  small  steed. 
Having  had  some  lessons  before  in  the  riding 
and  management  of  a  pony,  he  succeeded  so 
well  that,  to  his  extreme  satisfaction,  he  was 
allowed  to  ride  it  to  Ion  and  exhibit  it  therer 
where  its  beauty  and  his  horsemanship  were 
commented  upon  and  admired  to  his  heart's 
content. 

The  entire  connection  was  invited  to  take 
Christmas  dinner  at  Ion,  and  when  they  gath 
ered  about  the  table  not  one  was  missing. 
Everybody  seemed  in  excellent  spirits  and  all 
were  well  excepting  Chester,  who  had  a  trouble 
some  cough. 

"  I  don't  quite  like  that  cough,  Chester,"  said 
Dr.  Conly  at  length,  "  and  if  you  ask  me  for  a 
prescription  it  will  be  a  trip  to  Florida." 

"  Thank  you,  Cousin  Art,"  returned  Chester 
with  a  smile.  "  That  would  be  a  most  agree- 


30  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

able  medicine  if  I  could  spare  the  time  and  take 
with  me  the  present  company,  or  even  a  part 
of  it" 

"  Meaning  Lu,  I  presume,  dies,"  laughed 
.Zoe. 

"  Among  the  rest;  she  is  one  of  the  present 
company,"  he  returned  pleasantly. 

"  What  do  you  say,  captain,  to  taking  your 
family  down  there  for  a  few  weeks?  "  asked  Dr. 
Conly,  adding,  "I  don't  think  it  would  be  a 
bad  thing  for  Grace." 

"I  should  have  no  objection  if  any  of  my 
family  need  it,  or  if  they  all  wish  to  go,"  said 
the  captain,  looking  at  his  wife  and  older  daugh 
ters  as  he  spoke. 

"  A  visit  to  Florida  would  be  something  new 
and  very  pleasant,  I  think,"  said  Violet. 

"  As  I  do,  papa,"  said  Grace.  "  Thank  you 
for  recommending  it  for  me,  Cousin  Arthur," 
.she  added,  giving  him  a  pleased  smile. 

"  Being  very  healthy  I  do  not  believe  I  need 
it,  but  I  should  greatly  enjoy  going  with  those 
who  do,"  said  Lucilla,  adding  in  an  aside  to 
Chester,  who  sat  next  her,  "  I  do  hope  you  can 
.go  and  get  rid  of  that  trying  cough." 


ELSIE  IN  TUB  SOUTH.  31 

"  Perhaps  after  a  while;  not  just  yet,"  was  his, 
low-toned  reply.  "  I  hardly  know  what  I 
should  like  better." 

"  Well,  don't  let  business  hinder;  your  lif e~ 
and  health  are  of  far  more  importance  than 
that,  or  anything  else." 

His  only  answer  to  that  was  a  smile  which 
spoke  appreciation  of  her  solicitude  for  him. 

No  more  was  said  on  the  subject  just  then, 
but  it  was  talked  over  later  in  the  evening  and 
quite  a  number  of  those  present  seemed  taken 
with  a  desire  to  spend  a  part  of  the  winter  in 
Florida.  Chester  admitted  that  by  the  last  of 
January  he  could  probably  go  without  sacrific 
ing  the  interests  of  his  clients,  and  the  captain 
remarked  that  by  that  time  Max  would  be  at 
home  and  could  go  with  them. 

Grandma  Elsie,  her  father  and  his  wife,  also 
Cousin  Ronald  and  his  Annis,  pledged  them 
selves  to  be  of  the  party,  and  so  many  of  the 
younger  people  hoped  they  might  be  able  to 
join  that  it  bade  fair  to  be  a  large  one. 

"  Are  we  going  in  our  yacht,  papa?  "  asked 
Ned  Raymond. 

"  Some  of  us,  perhaps,  but  it  is  unfortunately 


32  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

not  large  enough  to  hold  us  all  comfortably," 
was  the  amused  reply. 

"  Not  by  any  means/'  said  Dr.  Conly,  "  but 
the  journey  can  be  taken  more  quickly  by  rail, 
and  probably  more  safely  at  this  time  of  the 
year." 

Their  plans  were  not  matured  before  separat 
ing  for  the  night,  but  it  seemed  altogether 
probable  tLat  quite  a  large  company  from  that 
-connection  would  visit  Florida  before  the  win 
ter  was  over;  and  at  the  Woodburn  breakfast 
the  next  morning  the  captain,  in  reply  to  some 
questions  in  regard  to  the  history  of  that  State, 
suggested  that  they,  the  family,  should  take  up 
that  study  as  a  preparation  for  their  expected 
visit  there. 

"  I  will  procure  the  needed  books,"  he  said, 
*(  and  distribute  them  among  you  older  ones  to 
be  read  at  convenient  times  during  the  day  and 
reported  upon  when  we  are  all  together  in  the 
evenings." 

"  An  excellent  idea,  my  dear,"  said  Violet. 
""  I  think  we  will  all  enjoy  it,  for  I  know  that 
Florida's  history  is  an  interesting  one." 

"  Were  you  ever  there,  papa?  "  asked  Elsie. 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  39 

"  Yes;  and  I  found  it  a  lovely  place  to  visit 
at  the  right  time  of  the  year." 

"  That  means  the  winter  time,  I  suppose?  " 

"  Yes;  we  should  find  it  unpleasantly  warm 
in  the  summer." 

"  How  soon  are  we  going,  papa?  "  asked  Ned. 

"  Probably  about  the  1st  of  February." 

"To  stay  long?" 

"  That  will  depend  largely  upon  how  we  en 
joy  ourselves." 

"  The  study  of  the  history  of  Florida  will  be 
very  interesting,  I  am  sure,  father,"  said  Lu- 
cilla;  "  but  we  will  hardly  find  time  for  it  until 
next  week." 

"  No,"  he  replied,  "  I  suppose  not  until  after 
New  Year's — as  we  are  to  go  through  quite  a 
round  of  family  reunions.  But  in  the  mean 
time  I  will,  as  I  said,  procure  the  needed  books." 

"  And  shall  we  learn  lessons  in  them  in 
school  time,  papa?  "  asked  Ned. 

"  No,  son;  when  we  are  alone  together 
in  the  evenings! — or  have  with  us  only  those 
who  care  to  have  a  share  in  learning  all  they 
can  about  Florida.  Our  readers  may  then  take 
turns  in  telling  the  interesting  facts  they  have 


-34  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

learned  from  the  books.  Do  you  all  like  the 
plan?" 

All  thought  they  should  like  it;  so  it  was  de 
cided  to  carry  it  out. 

That  week  except  Sunday  was  filled  with  a 
round  of  most  enjoyable  family  festivities, 
now  at  the  home  of  one  part  of  the  connection, 
now  at  another,  and  wound  up  with  a  New 
Year's  dinner  at  Woodburn.  There  was  a  good 
deal  of  talk  among  them  about  Florida  and  the 
pleasure  probably  to  be  found  in  visiting  it  that 
winter,  to  say  nothing  of  the  benefit  to  the 
health  of  several  of  their  company — Chester 
especially,  as  he  still  had  a  troublesome  cough. 

"  You  should  go  by  all  means,  Chester,"  said 
Dr.  Conly,  "  and  the  sooner  the  better." 

"  I  think  I  can  arrange  to  go  by  the  1st  of 
February,"  replied  Chester,  "  and  shall  be  glad 
to  do  so  if  I  can  secure  the  good  company  of  the 
rest  of  you,  or  even  some  of  you." 

"  Of  one  in  particular,  J  presume,"  laughed 
his  brother.  . 

"  Will  you  take  us  in  the  yacht,  my  dear? " 
.asked  Violet,  addressing  her  husband. 

"  If  the  weather  proves  suitable  we  can  go  in 


ELSIE  IN  TEE  SOUTH.  3fr 

that  way — as  many  as  the  Dolphin  can  accom 
modate  comfortably.  Though  probably  some 
of  the  company  would  prefer  travelling  by 
rail,  as  the  speedier  and,  at  this  season,  the 
safer  mode,"  replied  Captain  Raymond. 

"  If  we  take  the  yacht  you,  mamma,  will  go* 
with  us  in  it,  of  course/'  observed  Violet. 
"  Grandpa  and  Grandma,  too." 

"  Thank  you,  daughter,  the  yacht  always 
seems  very  pleasant  and  homelike  to  me,  and  I 
have  great  confidence  in  my  honored  son-in- 
law  as  her  commander,"  returned  Mrs.  Travilla,. 
with  a  smiling  look  at  the  captain. 

He  bowed  his  acknowledgments,  saying, 
"  Thank  you,  mother,  I  fully  appreciate  the 
kindness  of  that  remark."  Then  turning  to  his 
wife's  grandfather,  "  And  you,  sir,  and  your 
good  wife,  I  hope  may  feel  willing  to  be  of  our 
company  should  we  decide  to  take  the  yacht?  'r 

"  Thank  you,  captain;  I  think  it  probable  we 
will,"  Mr.  Dinsmore  said  in  reply. 

"  I  wish  my  three  brothers  may  be  able  to  ac 
company  us  also,"  said  Violet. 

Neither  one  of  them  felt  certain  of  hi& 
ability  to  do  so,  but  all  thought  it  would  be  a 


36  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

pleasure  indeed  to  visit  Florida  in  such  com 
pany.  No  one  seemed  ready  yet  for  definite  ar 
rangements,  but  as  the  trip  was  not  to  be  taken 
for  a  month  prompt  decision  was  not  esteemed 
necessary,  and  shortly  after  tea  most  of 
them  bade  good-night  and  left  for  their 
homes. 

Chester  was  one  of  the  last  to  go,  but  it  was 
not  yet  very  late  when  Lucilla  and  Grace  sought 
their  own  little  sitting-room  and  lingered  there 
for  a  bit  of  chat  together. 

Their  father  had  said  they  need  not  hasten 
with  their  preparations  for  bed,  as  he  was  com 
ing  in  presently  for  a  few  moments.  They  had 
hardly  finished  their  talk  when  he  came  in. 

"  Well,  daughters,"  he  said,  taking  a  seat  be 
tween  them  on  the  sofa  and  putting  an  arm 
about  the  waist  of  each,  "  I  hope  you  have  en 
joyed  this  first  day  of  a  new  year?  " 

"Yes,  indeed,  papa,"  both  replied.  "And 
we  hope  you  have  also,"  added  Grace. 

"  I  have,"  he  said.  "  I  think  we  may  well  be 
•called  a  happy  and  favored  family.  But  I  won 
der,"  he  added  with  a  smiling  glance  from  one 
to  the  other,  "  if  my  older  daughters  have  not 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  37 

been  a  trifle  disappointed  that  their  father  has 
made  them  no  New  Year's  gift  of  any  account." 

"Why,  papa!"  they  both  exclaimed,  "you 
gave  us  such  elegant  and  costly  Christmas  gifts 
and  each  several  valuable  books  to-day.  We 
should  be  very  ungrateful  if  we  did  not  think 
that  quite  enough." 

"  I  am  well  satisfied  that  you  should  think  it 
enough,"  he  returned  laughingly,  "  but  I  do 
not.  Here  is  something  more."  As  he  spoke 
he  took  from  his  pocket  two  sealed  envelopes 
and  put  one  into  the  hand  of  each. 

They  took  them  with  a  pleased,  "  Oh,  thank 
you,  papa! "  and  hastened  to  open  them  and 
examine  the  contents. 

"  What  is  it,  papa? "  asked  Grace  with  a 
slightly  puzzled  look  at  a  folded  paper  found  in 
hers. 

"  A  certificate  of  stock  which  will  increase 
your  allowance  of  pocket  money  to  about  ten 
dollars  a  week." 

"  Oh,  how  nice!  how  kind  and  generous  you 
are,  papa! "  she  exclaimed,  putting  an  arm 
about  his  neck  and  showering  kisses  on  his  lips 
and  cheek. 

449811 


38  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

"  And  mine  is  just  the  same,  is  it  not,  papa?  " 
asked  Lucilla,  taking  her  turn  in  bestowing 
upon  him  the  same  sort  of  thanLs.  "  But  oh, 
I  am  afraid  you  are  giving  us  more  than  you 
can  well  spare! " 

"  No,  daughter  dear,"  he  said,  "  you  need 
trouble  yourselves  with  no  fears  on  that  score. 
Our  kind  heavenly  Father  has  go  prospered  me 
that  I  caa  well  afford  it;  and  I  have  confidence 
in  my  dear  girls  that  they  will  not  waste  it,  but 
will  use  it  wisely  and  well." 

"  I  hope  so,  papa,"  said  Grace.  "  You  have 
taught  us  that  our  money  is  a  talent  for  which 
we  will  have  to  give  an  account." 

"  Yes,  daughter,  I  hope  you  will  always  keep 
that  in  mind,  and  be  neither  selfish  nor  waste 
ful  in  the  use  you  put  it  to." 

"  I  do  not  mean  to  be  either,  papa,"  she  re 
turned;  "  and  I  may  always  consult  you  about 
it,  may  I  not?" 

"  Whenever  it  pleases  you  to  do  so  I  shall  be 
happy  to  listen  and  advise  you  to  the  best  of  my 
ability,"  he  answered  with  an  affectionate  look 
and  smile. 


CHAPTER  III. 

A  FEW  days  later  a  package  of  books  was  re 
ceived  at  Woodburn  which,  upon  being  opened, 
proved  to  be  histories  of  Florida  ordered  by  the 
captain  from  the  neighboring  city.  They  were 
hailed  with  delight  by  Violet  and  the  older 
giuls,  who  were  cordially  invited  to  help  them 
selves,  study  up  the  subject  in  private,  and  re 
port  progress  in  the  evenings.  Each  one  of 
them  selected  a  book,  as  did  the  captain  also. 

"Aren't  Elsie  and  I  to  help  read  them, 
papa?"  asked  Ned,  in  a  slightly  disappointed 
tone. 

"  You  may  both  do  so  if  you  choose,"  their 
father  replied,  "  but  I  hardly  think  the  books 
will  prove  juvenile  enough  to  interest  you  as 
much  as  it  will  to  hear  from  us  older  ones  some 
account  of  their  contents." 

"  Oh,  yes,  papa!  and  your  way  is  always  best," 
exclaimed  Elsie,  her  eyes  beaming  with  pleas 
ure.  "  Neddie,"  turning  to  her  brother,  "  you 

39 


40  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

know  we  always  like  listening  to  stories  some» 
body  tells  us;  even  better  than  reading  them  for 
ourselves." 

"  Yes,  indeed! "  he  cried,  "  I  like  it  a  great 
deal  better.  I  guess  papa's  way  is  beet  after 
all." 

Just  then  Chester  came  in  and,  when  the 
usual  greetings  had  been  exchanged,  glancing 
at  the  books,  he  exclaimed,  "  Ah,  so  they  have 
come — your  ordered  works  on  Florida,  cap 
tain?" 

"  Yes;  will  you  help  yourself  to  one  or  more 
and  join  us  in  the  gathering  up  of  information 
in  regard  to  the  history,  climate,  productions, 
et  cetera,  of  that  part  of  our  country?  " 

"  Thank  you,  captain,  I  will  be  very  glad  to 
do  so,"  was  the  prompt  and  pleased  reply. 
"  Glad  to  join  in  your  studies  now  and  your 
visits  to  the  localities  afterward." 

"  That  last,  I  am  thinking,  will  be  the  pleas- 
anteet  part,"  said  Grace;  "  but  all  the  more  en 
joyable  for  doing  this  part  well  first." 

"  Father,"  said  Lucilla,  "  as  you  have  visited 
Florida  and  know  a  great  deal  about  its  history, 
can't  you  begin  our  work  of  preparation  for  the 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  41 

trip  by  telling  us  something  of  the  facts  as  we 
ait  together  in  the  library  just  after  tea  to 
night?" 

"  I  can  if  it  is  desired  by  all  of  you,"  was  the 
pleasant-toned  reply. 

"  Before  Neddie  and  I  have  to  go  to  bed, 
papa,  please,"  exclaimed  little  Elsie  coaxingly. 

"  Yes,  daughter,  you  and  Neddie  shall  be  of 
the  audience,"  replied  her  father,  patting  affec 
tionately  the  little  hand  she  had  laid  upon  his 
knee.  "  My  lecture  will  not  be  a  very  lengthy 
one,  and  if  not  quite  over  by  your  usual  bed 
time,  you  and  Ned,  if  not  too  sleepy  to  be 
interested  listeners,  may  stay  up  until  its  con 
clusion." 

"  Oh,  thank  you,  sir! "  exclaimed  the  little 
girl  joyfully. 

"  Thank  you,  papa,"  said  her  brother.  "  I'll 
not  grow  sleepy  while  you  are  telling  the  story, 
unless  you  make  it  very  dull  and  stupid." 

"  Why,  son,  have  I  ever  done  that?  "  asked 
his  father,  looking  much  amused,  and  Elsie  ex 
claimed,  "  Why,  Ned!  papa's  stories  are  always 
ever  so  nice  and  interesting." 

"'Most  always,"  returned  the  little  fellow, 


42  ELSIE  IN  TEE  SOUTH. 

hanging  his  head  and  blushing  with  mortifica 
tion;  "  but  I  have  got  sleepy  sometimes  because 
I  couldn't  help  it." 

"  For  which  papa  doesn't  blame  his  little  boy 
in  the  least,"  said  the  captain  soothingly,  draw 
ing  the  little  fellow  to  him  and  stroking  his 
hair  with  caressing  hand. 

At  that  moment  wheels  were  heard  on  the 
drive  and  Grace,  glancing  from  the  window,  ex 
claimed  joyfully,  "  Oh,  here  comes  the  Ion  car 
riage  with  Grandma  Elsie  and  Evelyn  in  it. 
Now,  papa,  you  will  have  quite  an  audience." 

"  If  they  happen  to  want  the  same  thing  that 
the  rest  of  you  do,"  returned  her  father,  as  he 
left  the  room  to  welcome  the  visitors  and  help 
them  to  alight. 

They  had  come  only  for  a  call,  but  it  was  not 
very  difficult  to  persuade  them  to  stay  and 
spend  the  night,  sending  back  word  to  their 
homes  by  the  coachman.  In  prospect  of  their 
intended  visit  to  Florida  they  were  as  greatly 
interested  as  the  others  in  learning  all  they 
could  of  its  history  and  what  would  be  the 
best  points  to  visit  in  search  of  pleasure  and 
profit. 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  43 

On  leaving  the  tea  table  all  gathered  in  the 
library,  the  ladies  with  their  fancy  needlework, 
Chester  seated  near  his  betrothed,  the  captain 
in  an  easy-chair  with  the  little  ones  close  beside 
him — one  at  each  knee  and  both  looking 
eagerly  expectant;  for  they  knew  their  father  to 
be  a  good  story-teller  and  thought  the  subject 
in  hand  one  sure  to  prove  very  interesting. 

After  a  moment's  silence  in  which  the  cap 
tain  seemed  to  be  absorbed  in  quiet  thought,  he 
began : 

"  In  the  year  1512 — that  is  nearly  four  hun 
dred  years  ago — a  Spaniard  named  Juan  Ponce 
De  Leon,  who  had  amassed  a  fortune  by  subju 
gating  the  natives  of  the  island  of  Puerto  Rico, 
but  had  grown  old  and  wanted  to  be  young 
again,  having  heard  of  an  Indian  tradition  that 
there  was  a  land  to  the  north  where  was  a  foun 
tain,  bathing  in  which,  and  drinking  of  the 
water  freely,  would  restore  youth  and  make  one 
live  forever — set  sail  in  search  of  it.  On  the 
21st  day  of  April  he  landed  upon  the  eastern 
shore  of  Florida,  near  the  mouth  of  the  St. 
Johns  Eiver. 

"The  day  was  what  the  Eomanists  called  Pas- 


44  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

chal  Sunday,  or  the  Sunday  of  the  Feast  of 
Flowers,  and  the  land  was  very  beautiful — with 
magnificent  trees  of  various  kinds,  stalwart  live- 
oaks,  tall  palm  trees,  the  mournful  cypress,  and 
the  brilliant  dogwood.  Waving  moss  drooped 
from  the  hanging  boughs  of  the  forest  trees; 
golden  fruit  and  lovely  blossoms  adorned  those 
of  the  orange  trees;  while  singing  birds  filled 
the  air  of  the  woods  with  music,  and  white- 
winged  waterfowls  skimmed  quietly  on  the  sur 
face  of  the  water.  The  ground  was  carpeted 
with  green  grass  and  beautiful  flowers  of  va 
rious  hues;  also  in  the  forest  was  an  abund 
ance  of  wild  game,  deer,  turkeys,  and  so 
forth. 

"  De  Leon  thought  he  had  found  the  paradise 
of  which  he  was  in  search.  He  went  up  the 
river,  but  by  mistake  took  a  chain  of  lakes,  sup 
posing  them  to  be  a  part  of  the  main  river,  and 
finally  reached  a  great  sulphur  and  mineral 
spring  which  is  now  called  by  his  name.  He 
did  not  stay  long,  but  soon  sailed  southward  to 
the  end  of  the  peninsula,  then  back  to  Puerto 
Rico.  Nine  years  afterward  he  tried  to  plant  a 
colony  in  Florida,  but  the  Indians  resisted  and 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  4S 

mortally  wounded  him.    He  retreated  to  Cuba 
and  soon  afterward  died  there." 

The  captain  paused  in  his  narrative  and 
Elsie  asked,  "  Then  did  the  Spaniards  let  the 
Indians  have  their  own  country  in  peace,, 
papa?" 

"  No,"  replied  her  father.  "  Cortez  had 
meanwhile  conquered  Mexico,  finding  quanti 
ties  of  gold  there,  of  which  he  basely  robbed  its 
people.  He  landed  there  in  1519  and  captured 
the  City  of  Mexico  in  1521. 

"  In  the  meantime  Narvaez  had  tried  to  get 
possession  of  Florida,  and  its  supposed  treas 
ures.  He  had  asked  and  obtained  of  the  king 
of  Spain  authority  to  conquer  and  govern  it,, 
with  the  title  of  Adelantado,  his  dominion  to 
extend  from  Cape  Florida  to  the  River  of 
Palms. 

"  On  the  14th  of  April  he  landed  near  Tampa 
Bay  with  four  hundred  armed  men  and  eighty 
horses. 

"  He  and  his  men  were  entirely  unsuccessful: 
they  found  no  gold,  the  Indians  were  hostile, 
provisions  scarce;  and  finally  they  built  boats 
in  which  to  escape  from  Florida,  The  boats. 


46  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

were  of  a  very  rude  sort  and  the  men  knew 
nothing  about  managing  them.  So,  though 
they  set  sail,  it  was  to  make  a  most  unsuccess 
ful  voyage.  They  nearly  perished  with  cold 
And  hunger  and  many  were  drowned  in  the  sea. 
The  boat  that  carried  Narvaez  was  driven  out 
to  sea  and  nothing  more  was  ever  heard  of  him. 
Not  more  than  four  of  his  followers  escaped." 

The  captain  paused  for  a  moment,  then  turn 
ing  to  his  wife,  said  pleasantly,  "  Well,  my  dear, 
suppose  you  take  your  turn  now  as  narrator  and 
give  us  a  brief  sketch  of  the  doings  of  Fernando 
de  Soto,  the  Spaniard  who  next  undertook  to 
conquer  Florida." 

"  Yes,"  said  Violet,  "  I  have  been  reading  his 
story  to-day  with  great  interest,  and  though  I 
cannot  hope  to  nearly  equal  my  husband  as  nar 
rator,  I  shall  just  do  the  best  I  can. 

"  History  tells  us  that  Cabeca  de  Vaca — one 
of  the  four  survivors  of  the  ill-fated  expedition 
of  Narvaez — went  back  to  Spain  and  for  pur 
poses  of  his  own  spread  abroad  the  story  that 
Florida  was  the  richest  country  yet  discovered. 
That  raised  a  great  furor  for  going  there.  De 
Soto  began  preparations  for  an  expedition  and 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  tf 

nobles  and  gentlemen  contended  for  the  privi 
lege  of  joining  it. 

"  It  was  on  the  18th  of  May,  1539,  that  De 
Soto  left  Cuba  with  one  thousand  men-at-arms 
and  three  hundred  and  fifty  horses.  He  landed 
at  Tampa  Bay — on  the  west  coast — on  Whit 
sunday,  25th  of  May.  His  force  was  larger 
and  of  more  respectable  quality  than  any 
that  had  preceded  it.  And  he  was  not  so 
bad  and  cruel  a  man  as  his  predecessor — 
Narvaez." 

"  Did  Narvaez  do  very  bad  things  to  the 
poor  Indians,  mamma?  "  asked  Elsie. 

"Yes,  indeed! "  replied  her  mother;  "in  his 
treatment  of  them  he  showed  himself  a  most 
cruel,  heartless  wretch.  Wilmer,  in  his  '  Fer 
dinand  De  Soto/  tells  of  a  chief  whom  he  calls 
Cacique  Ucita,  who,  after  forming  a  treaty  of 
peace  and  amity  with  Pamphilo  de  Narvaez, 
had  been  most  outrageously  abused  by  him — his 
aged  mother  torn  to  pieces  by  dogs,  in  his  ab 
sence  from  home,  and  when  he  returned  and 
showed  his  grief  and  anger,  himself  seized  and 
his  nose  cut  off." 

"  Oh,  mamma,  how  very,  very  cruel! "  cried 


48  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

Elsie.  "  Had  "Delta's  mother  done  anything  to 
Narvaez  to  make  him  treat  her  so?  " 

"  Nothing  except  that  she  complained  to  her 
eon  of  a  Spaniard  who  had  treated  a  young  In 
dian  girl  very  badly  indeed. 

"Narvaez  had  shown  himself  an  atrociously 
cruel  man.  So  that  it  was  no  wonder  the  poor 
Indians  hated  him.  How  could  anything  else 
be  expected  of  poor  Ucita  when  he  learned  of 
the  dreadful,  undeserved  death  his  poor  mother 
had  died,  than  that  he  would  be,  as  he  was, 
frantic  with  grief  and  anger,  and  make,  as  he 
did,  threats  of  terrible  vengeance  against  the 
Spaniards?  But  instead  of  acknowledging  hii 
cruelty  and  trying  to  make  some  amends,  as  I 
have  said,  Narvaez  ordered  him  to  be  seized, 
scourged,  and  sadly  mutilated. 

"  Then,  as  soon  as  Ucita's  subjects  heard  of 
all  this,  they  hastened  from  every  part  of  his  do 
minions  to  avenge  him  upon  the  Spaniards. 
Perceiving  their  danger  the  Spaniards  then  fled 
with  all  expedition,  and  so  barely  escaped  the 
vengeance  they  so  richly  deserved. 

"  But  to  go  back  to  my  story  of  De  Soto — he 
had  landed  a  few  miles  from  an  Indian  town 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  *& 

which  stood  on  the  site  of  the  present  town  of 
Tampa.  He  had  with  him  two  Indians  whom 
he  had  been  training  for  guides  and  inter 
preters;  but  to  his  great  disappointment  they 
escaped. 

"  The  Spaniards  had  captured  some  Indian 
women,  and  from  them  De  Soto  learned  that  a 
neighboring  chief  had  in  his  keeping  a  captured 
Spaniard,  one  of  the  men  of  Narvaez. 

"  After  Narvaez  landed  he  had  sent  back  to- 
Cuba  one  of  his  smaller  vessels — on  board  of 
which  was  this  Juan  Ortiz — to  carry  the  news 
of  his  safe  arrival  to  his  wife.  She  at  once  sent 
additional  supplies  by  the  same  vessel  and  it 
reached  the  bay  the  day  after  Narvaez  and  his 
men  had  fled,  as  I  have  already  told  you,  from 
the  vengeance  of  the  outraged  Ucita  and  his 
indignant  subjects. 

"  Ortiz  and  those  with  him,  seeing  a  letter 
fixed  in  a  cleft  of  a  stick  on  shore,  asked  some 
Indians  whom  they  saw  to  bring  it  to  them. 
They  refused  and  made  signs  for  the  Spaniards 
to  come  for  it.  Juan  Ortiz,  then  a  boy  of 
eighteen,  with  some  comrades,  took  a  boat  and 
went  on  ehore,  when  they  were  at  once  seized 


50  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

by  the  Indians,  one  of  them,  who  resisted,  in 
stantly  killed,  and  the  rest  taken  to  the  cruelly 
wronged  and  enraged  chief  Ucita,  who  had 
made  a  vow  to  punish  with  death  any  Spaniard 
who  should  fall  into  his  hands. 

"  Ortiz'  mind,  as  they  hurried  him  onward, 
was  filled  with  the  most  horrible  forebodings. 
When  they  reached  the  village  the  chief  was 
waiting  in  the  public  square  to  receive  them. 
One  of  the  Spaniards  was  at  once  seized, 
stripped  of  his  clothes  and  bade  to  run  for  his 
life. 

"  The  square  was  enclosed  by  palisades  and 
the  only  gateway  was  guarded  by  well-armed 
Indians.  As  soon  as  the  naked  Spaniard  began 
to  run  one  of  the  Indians  shot  an  arrow,  the 
barbed  edge  of  which  sank  deeply  into  his 
.shoulder.  Another  and  another  arrow  fol 
lowed,  the  man  in  a  frenzy  of  pain  hurrying 
round  and  round  in  a  desperate  effort  to  find 
some  opening  by  which  he  might  escape;  the 
Indians  looking  on  with  evident  delight. 

"  This  scene  lasted  for  more  than  an  hour, 
and  when  the  wretched  victim  fell  to  the 
.ground  there  were  no  less  than  thirty  arrows 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  51 

fixed  in  his  flesh,  and  the  whole  surface  of  his 
body  was  covered  with  blood. 

"  The  Indians  let  him  lie  there  in  a  dying 
condition  and  chose  another  victim  to  go- 
through  the  same  tortures;  then  another  and 
another  till  all  were  slain  except  Ortiz.  By 
that  time  the  Indians  seemed  to  be  tired  of  the 
cruel  sport  and  he  saw  them  consulting  to 
gether,  the  chief  apparently  giving  the  others 
some  directions. 

"  It  seems  that  from  some  real  or  fancied  re 
semblance  Ucita  saw  in  the  lad  to  the  cruel 
wretch,  Pamphilo  de  Narvaez,  he  supposed  him. 
to  be  a  relative;  and  therefore  intended  him  to 
suffer  some  even  more  agonizing  death  than 
than  just  meted  out  to  his  fellows.  For  that 
purpose  some  of  them  now  busied  themselves- 
in  making  a  wooden  frame.  They  laid  parallel 
to  each  other  two  stout  pieces  of  wood — six  or 
seven  feet  long  and  three  feet  apart,  then 
laid  a  number  of  others  across  them  so  as  to- 
form  a  sort  of  grate  or  hurdle  to  which  they 
then  bound  Ortiz  with  leathern  thongs.  They 
then  placed  it  on  four  stakes  driven  into  the 
ground,  and  kindled  a  fire  underneath,  using: 


54  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

come  to  him  with  food,  restoratives,  medicines, 
and  words  of  consolation  and  encouragement, 
all  of  which  helped  him  to  live  and  endure. 

"When  Ortiz  had  been  there  about  nine 
months  the  Princess  Ulelah  came  to  him  one 
evening  and  told  him  that  their  religious  festi 
val  would  be  celebrated  on  the  first  day  of  the 
new  moon.  Ortiz  had  heard  that  the  chief  in 
tended  to  sacrifice  him  on  that  occasion  and  of 
course  he  was  sorely  distressed  at  the  dreadful 
prospect  before  him,  and  as  the  time  drew  near 
he  tried  to  prepare  his  mind  for  his  doom,  for 
he  could  see  no  way  of  escape.  Ulelah  told  him 
she  had  done  all  she  could  to  induce  her  father 
to  spare  his  life,  but  could  gain  nothing  more 
than  a  promise  to  delay  the  execution  of  the 
sentence  for  a  year — on  one  condition,  that 
he  should  keep  guard  over  the  cemetery  of  the 
tribe,  where,  according  to  the  custom  of  their 
people,  the  bodies  of  the  dead  were  exposed 
above  ground  until  the  flesh  wasted  away,  leav 
ing  only  the  naked  skeletons. 

"  The  cemetery  was  about  three  miles  from 
•the  village,  in  an  open  space  of  ground  sur 
rounded  by  forests.  The  bodies  lay  on  biers  on 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  55 

stages  raised  several  feet  above  the  ground,  and 
it  was  necessary  to  keep  a  watch  over  them  every 
night  to  protect  them  from  the  wild  beasts  of 
prey  in  the  surrounding  woods.  Generally 
those  who  were  compelled  to  keep  this  watch 
were  criminals  under  sentence  of  death,  who 
were  permitted  to  live,  if  they  could;  so  long  as 
they  performed  that  duty  faithfully.  But  they 
ran  great  risks  from  the  wild  beasts  of  prey  in 
the  surrounding  forests  and  from  effluvia  aris 
ing  from  the  decaying  bodies. 

"It  seemed  a  terrible  alternative,  but  Ortiz 
took  it  rather  than  suffer  immediate  death. 
Ulelah  wept  over  him,  and  her  sympathy  abated 
something  of  the  horror  of  his  hard  fate  and 
helped  him  to  meet  it  manfully. 

"  Next  day  he  was  taken  to  the  place  by  the 
chief's  officers,  who  gave  him  a  bow  and  arrows 
and  other  weapons,  told  him  to  be  vigilant,  and 
warned  him  against  any  attempt  to  escape. 

"  His  little  hut  of  reeds  was  in  the  midst  of 
the  cemetery.  The  stench  was  horrible  and  for 
several  hours  overpowered  him  with  sickness 
and  stupor  such  as  he  had  never  known  before. 
But  from  that  he  partially  recovered  before 


54  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

come  to  him  with  food,  restoratives,  medicines, 
and  words  of  consolation  and  encouragement, 
all  of  which  helped  him  to  live  and  endure. 

"When  Ortiz  had  been  there  about  nine 
months  the  Princess  Ulelah  came  to  him  one 
evening  and  told  him  that  their  religious  festi 
val  would  be  celebrated  on  the  first  day  of  the 
new  moon.  Ortiz  had  heard  that  the  chief  in 
tended  to  sacrifice  him  on  that  occasion  and  of 
course  he  was  sorely  distressed  at  the  dreadful 
prospect  before  him,  and  as  the  time  drew  near 
he  tried  to  prepare  his  mind  for  his  doom,  for 
he  could  see  no  way  of  escape.  Ulelah  told  him 
she  had  done  all  she  could  to  induce  her  father 
to  spare  his  life,  but  could  gain  nothing  more 
than  a  promise  to  delay  the  execution  of  the 
sentence  for  a  year — on  one  condition,  that 
he  should  keep  guard  over  the  cemetery  of  the 
tribe,  where,  according  to  the  custom  of  their 
people,  the  bodies  of  the  dead  were  exposed 
above  ground  until  the  flesh  wasted  away,  leav 
ing  only  the  naked  skeletons. 

"  The  cemetery  was  about  three  miles  from 
•the  village,  in  an  open  space  of  ground  sur 
rounded  by  forests.  The  bodies  lay  on  biers  on 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  55 

stages  raised  several  feet  above  the  ground,  and 
it  was  necessary  to  keep  a  watch  over  them  every 
night  to  protect  them  from  the  wild  beasts  of 
prey  in  the  surrounding  woods.  Generally 
those  who  were  compelled  to  keep  this  watch 
were  criminals  under  sentence  of  death,  who 
were  permitted  to  live,  if  they  could;  so  long  as 
they  performed  that  duty  faithfully.  But  they 
ran  great  risks  from  the  wild  beasts  of  prey  in 
the  surrounding  forests  and  from  effluvia  aris 
ing  from  the  decaying  bodies. 

"  It  seemed  a  terrible  alternative,  but  Ortiz 
took  it  rather  than  suffer  immediate  death. 
Ulelah  wept  over  him,  and  her  sympathy  abated 
something  of  the  horror  of  his  hard  fate  and 
helped  him  to  meet  it  manfully. 

"  Next  day  he  was  taken  to  the  place  by  the 
chief's  officers,  who  gave  him  a  bow  and  arrows 
and  other  weapons,  told  him  to  be  vigilant,  and 
warned  him  against  any  attempt  to  escape. 

"  His  little  hut  of  reeds  was  in  the  midst  of 
the  cemetery.  The  stench  was  horrible  and  for 
several  hours  overpowered  him  with  sickness 
and  stupor  such  as  he  had  never  known  before. 
But  from  that  he  partially  recovered  before 


56  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

night,  and  toward  morning  the  howling  of 
wolves  helped  to  arouse  him;  yet  presently  he 
nearly  lost  consciousness  again. 

"  In  the  early  part  of  the  night  he  had  con 
trived  to  scare  away  the  wolves  by  waving  a 
lighted  torch  which  was  kept  ready  for  the  pur 
pose.  But  at  length  he  hecame  conscious  that 
some  living  thing  was  near  him,  as  he  could 
hear  the  sound  of  breathing;  then  by  the  light 
of  his  torch  he  saw  a  large  animal  dragging 
away  the  body  of  a  child. 

"  Before  he  could  arouse  himself  sufficiently 
to  attack  the  animal  it  had  reached  the  woods- 
and  was  out  of  sight.  He  was  very  ill,  but 
roused  all  his  energies,  fitted  an  arrow  to  his 
bow  and  staggered  toward  that  part  of  the 
forest  where  the  beast  had  disappeared.  As  he 
reached  the  edge  of  the  wood  he  heard  a  sound 
like  the  gnawing  of  a  bone.  He  could  not  see 
the  creature  that  made  it,  but  sent  an  arrow  in 
the  direction  of  the  sound,  and  at  the  same  mo 
ment  he  fell  to  the  ground  in  a  faint;  for  the 
exertion  had  entirely  exhausted  his  small  por 
tion  of  strength. 

"  There  he  lay  till  daybreak,  then  recovering 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  57 

consciousness,  he  by  great  and  determined 
effort  managed  to  crawl  back  to  his  hut. 

"Sometime  later  came  the  officers  whose 
duty  it  was  to  make  a  daily  examination.  They 
at  once  missed  the  child's  body  andVere  about 
to  dash  out  the  brains  of  Ortiz,  but  he  made 
haste  to  tell  of  his  night  adventure;  they  went 
to  the  part  of  the  forest  which  he  pointed  out 
as  the  spot  where  he  had  fired  at  the  wild  ani 
mal;  found  the  body  of  the  child,  and  lying 
near  it,  that  of  a  large  dead  animal  of  the  tiger 
kind.  The  arrow  of  Ortiz  had  struck  it  be 
tween  the  shoulders,  penetrated  to  the  heart, 
and  doubtless  killed  it  instantly. 

"  The  Indians  greatly  admired  the  skill  Or 
tiz  had  shown  by  that  shot,  and  as  they  re 
covered  the  body  of  the  child  they  held  him 
blameless. 

"  Gradually  he  grew  accustomed  to  that 
tainted  air  and  strong  enough  to  drive  away  the 
wolves,  killing  several  of  them.  The  Indian 
officers  brought  him  provisions,  and  so  he  lived 
for  about  two  weeks.  Then  one  night  he  was 
alarmed  by  the  sound  of  footsteps  which  seemed 
those  of  human  beings.  He  thought  some  new 


58  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

trouble  was  coining  upon  him,  but  as  they  drew 
near  he  saw  by  the  light  of  his  torch  that  they 
were  three  women — the  Princess  Ulelah  and 
two  female  attendants.  He  recognized  the  prin 
cess  by  her  graceful  form  and  the  richness  of 
her  dress.  She  told  him  the  priests  of  her  tribe 
would  not  consent  to  any  change  of  his  sen 
tence  or  delay  in  carrying  it  out.  That  Ucita 
had  promised  them  he  should  be  sacrificed  at 
the  approaching  festival,  and  they  were  deter 
mined  not  to  allow  their  deity  to  be  defrauded 
of  his  victim.  She  said  she  had  exposed  herself 
to  great  risk  by  coming  to  warn  him  of  his  dan 
ger,  for  if  the  priests  should  learn  that  she  had 
helped  him  to  escape  they  would  take  her  life — 
not  even  her  father's  authority  could  save  her 
from  them, — and  to  save  his  life  she  advised 
him  to  fly  at  once. 

"  He  thought  all  this  proved  that  she  loved 
him,  and  told  her  he  loved  her;  that  in  his  own 
country  he  belonged  to  an  ancient  and  honora 
ble  family  and  was  heir  to  a  large  estate.  He 
begged  her  to  go  with  him  and  become  his  wife. 

"  When  he  had  finished  speaking  she  was  si 
lent  for  a  few  moments;  then  answered  in  a  tone 


ELSIE  IN  TEE  SOUTH.  59 

that  seemed  to  show  some  displeasure.  '  I  re 
gret/  she  said,  '  that  any  part  of  my  conduct 
should  have  led  you  into  so  great  an  error.  In 
all  my  efforts  to  serve  you  I  have  had  no  mo 
tives  but  those  of  humanity;  and  I  would  have 
done  no  less  for  any  other  human  being  in  the 
same  circumstances.  To  fully  convince  you  of 
your  mistake  I  will  tell  you  that  I  am  betrothed 
to  a  neighboring  cacique,  to  whose  protection 
I  am  about  to  recommend  you.  Before  day 
break  I  will  send  a  faithful  guide  to  conduct  you 
to  the  village.  Lose  no  time  on  the  way,  and 
when  you  are  presented  to  Mocoso,  give  him 
this  girdle  as  a  token  that  you  come  from  me. 
He  will  then  consider  himself  bound  to  defend 
you  from  all  danger,  at  the  hazard  of  his  own 
life.' 

"  Ulelah  and  her  maidens  then  left  him  and 
before  morning  came  the  promised  guide,  who 
•conducted  Ortiz  through  the  trackless  forest  in 
a  northerly  direction,  urging  him  to  walk  very 
fast,  as  he  would  certainly  be  pursued  as  soon  as 
his  absence  was  discovered. 

"In  telling  his  story  afterward  Ortiz  said 
they  travelled  about  eight  leagues  and  reached 


60  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

Mocoso's  village,  at  whose  entrance  the  guide, 
fearing  to  be  recognized  by  some  one  of  Mo- 
coso's  subjects,  left  him  to  enter  it  alone. 

"  Some  Indians  were  fishing  in  a  stream  near 
by.  They  saw  Ortiz  come  out  of  the  woods, 
and  frightened  by  his  outlandish  appearance, 
snatched  up  their  arms  with  the  intention  of 
attacking  him.  But  when  he  showed  the  girdle 
which  Ulelah  had  given  him  they  understood 
that  he  was  the  bearer  of  a  message  to  their 
chief,  and  one  of  them  came  f orward  to  give  the 
usual  welcome,  and  then  led  him  to  the  village, 
where  his  Spanish  dress,  which  he  still  wore, 
attracted  much  attention,  and  he  waa  ushered 
into  the  presence  of  Mocoso.  He  found  that 
chief  a  youthful  Indian  of  noble  bearing,  tall 
and  graceful  in  person,  and  possessed  of  a  hand 
some  and  intelligent  face.  Ortiz  presented  the 
girdle.  Mocoso  examined  it  attentively,  and 
greatly  to  the  surprise  of  Ortiz  seemed  to  gain 
from  it  as  much  information  as  if  its  orna 
mental  work  had  been  in  written  words. 

"  Presently  raising  his  eyes  from  the  girdle 
Mocoso  said,  '  Christian,  I  am  requested  to  pro 
tect  you  and  it  shall  be  done.  You  are  safe  in 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  61 

my  village;  but  do  not  venture  beyond  it,  or 
you  may  have  the  misfortune  to  be  recaptured 
by  your  enemies/ 

"  From  that  time  Moeoeo  treated  Ortiz  with 
the  affection  of  a  brother." 

"  Oh,  how  nice! "  exclaimed  little  Elsie. 
"  But  when  Ucita  heard  that  Ortiz  was  gone, 
what  did  he  do  about  it?  " 

"  When  he  heard  where  he  was  he  sent  am 
bassadors  to  demand  that  he  be  given  up.  Mo- 
coso  refused.  That  caused  a  misunderstanding 
between  the  two  chiefs  and  delayed  the  mar 
riage  of  Ulelah  and  Mocoso  for  several  years. 
At  the  end  of  three  years  the  priests  interposed 
and  the  wedding  was  allowed  to  take  place,  but 
the  two  chiefs  did  not  become  reconciled  and 
held  no  communication  with  each  other. 

"  For  twelve  years  Ortiz  was  kept  in  safety  by 
Mocoso,  then  De  Soto  and  his  men  came  and 
Ortiz,  hearing  of  their  arrival,  wanted  to  join 
them  and  set  out  to  do  so  in  company  with  some 
cf  his  Indian  friends. 

"  At  the  same  time  a  Spaniard  named  Por- 
caJla  had  started  out  to  hunt  some  Indians  for 
slaves.  On  his  way  he  saw  Ortiz  with  his  party 


62  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

of  ten  or  twelve  Indians,  and  with  uplifted 
weapons  he  and  his  men  spurred  their  horses 
toward  them.  All  but  one  fled,  but  he  drew 
near  and,  speaking  in  Spanish,  said,  (  Cavaliers, 
do  not  kill  me.  I  am  one  of  your  own  country 
men;  and  I  beg  you  not  to  molest  these  Indians 
who  are  with  me;  for  I  am  indebted  to  them 
for  the  preservation  of  my  life.' 

"  He  then  made  signs  for  his  Indian  friends 
to  come  back,  which  some  few  did,  and  he  and 
they  were  taken  on  horseback  behind  some  of 
the  cavaliers,  and  so  conveyed  to  De  Soto's 
camp  where  Ortiz  told  his  story;  the  same  that 
I  have  been  telling  you. 

" '  As  soon  as  Mocoso  heard  of  your  arrival/ 
he  went  on,  '  he  asked  me  to  come  to  you  with 
the  offer  of  Ms  friendship,  and  I  was  on  my 
way  to  your  camp  with  several  of  his  officers 
when  I  met  your  cavaliers.' 

"  While  listening  to  this  story  De  Soto's  sym 
pathies  had  been  much  excited  for  Ortiz.  He 
at  once  presented  him  with  a  fine  horse,  a  suit 
of  handsome  clothes,  and  all  the  arms  and 
equipments  of  a  captain  of  cavalry. 

"  Then  he  sent  two  Indians  to  Mocoso  with 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  63 

a  message,  accepting  his  offers  of  friendship  and 
inviting  him  to  visit  the  camp;  which  he  shortly 
afterward  did,  bringing  with  him  some  of  his 
principal  warriors.  His  appearance  and  man 
ners  were  such  as  at  once  to  prepossess  the 
Spaniards  in  his  favor.  De  Soto  received  him 
with  cordiality  and  thanked  him  for  his  kind 
ness  to  the  Spaniard  who  had  sought  his  pro 
tection. 

"  Moco^o's  reply  was  one  that  could  not  fail 
to  be  pleasing  to  the  Spaniards.  It  was  that 
he  had  done  nothing  deserving  of  thanks;  that 
Ortiz  had  come  to  him  well  recommended  and 
his  honor  was  pledged  for  his  safety.  'His 
own  valor  and  other  good  qualities,'  he  added, 
*  entitled  him  to  all  the  respect  which  I  and  my 
people  could  show  him.  My  acquaintance 
with  him  disposes  me  to  be  friendly  to  all  his 
countrymen.' 

"  The  historian  goes  on  to  tell  us  that  when 
Mocoso's  mother  heard  where  he  had  gone  she 
was  terrified  at  the  thought  of  what  injury 
might  be  done  to  him — no  doubt  remembering 
the  sad  misfortune  of  Ucita  and  his  mother.,  so 
cruelly  dealt  with  by  the  treacherous  Spaniards. 


64  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

In  the  greatest  distress  she  hurried  to  the  camp 
of  De  Soto  and  implored  him  to  set  her  son  at 
liberty  and  not  treat  him  as  Ucita  had  been 
treated  by  Pamphilo.  '  If  he  has  offended  you/ 
she  said,  '  consider  that  he  is  but  young  and 
look  upon  his  fault  as  one  of  the  common  indis 
cretions  of  youth.  Let  him  go  back  to  his 
people  and  I  will  remain  here  and  undergo 
whatever  sufferings  you  may  choose  to  inflict/ '; 

"What  a  good  kind  mother!"  exclaimed  Elsie 
Raymond.  "  I  hope  they  didn't  hurt  her  or 
her  son  either." 

"  No,"  said  her  mother;  "  De  Soto  tried  to 
convince  her  that  he  considered  himself  under 
obligations  to  Mocoso,  and  that  he  had  only  in 
tended  to  treat  him  in  a  most  friendly  manner. 
But  all  he  could  say  did  not  remove  the  anxiety 
of  the  poor  frightened  woman,  for  she  had  come 
to  believe  the  whole  Spanish  nation  treacherous 
and  cruel.  Mocoso  himself  at  last  persuaded 
her  that  he  was  entirely  free  to  go  or  stay  as  he 
pleased.  Still  she  could  not  altogether  banish 
her  fears,  and  before  leaving  she  took  Juan 
Ortiz  aside  and  entreated  him  to  watch  over  the 
safety  of  his  friend,  and  especially  to  take  heed 


ELSIE  IN  TEE  SOUTH.  65 

that  the  other  Spaniards  did  not  poison 
him." 

"  Did  Mocoso  stay  long?  and  did  they  harm 
him,  mamma?  "  asked  Elsie. 

"  He  stayed  eight  days  in  the  Spanish  camp/' 
replied  Violet;  "being  inspired  with  perfect 
confidence  in  the  Christians." 

"Christians,  mamma?  What  Christians?" 
asked  Ned. 

"  That  was  what  the  Spaniards  called  them 
selves,"  she  answered;  "but  it  was  a  sad  mis 
nomer;  for  theirs  was  anything  else  than  the 
spirit  of  Christ/7 


CHAPTER   IV. 

THE  next  evening  the  same  company,  with 
some  additions,  gathered  in  the  library  at  Wood- 
burn,  all  full  of  interest  in  the  history  of 
Florida  and  anxious  to  learn  what  they  could 
of  its  climate,  productions,  and  anything  that 
might  be  known  of  the  tribes  of  Indians  in 
habiting  it  before  the  invasion  of  the  Spaniards. 

At  the  earnest  request  of  the  others  Grand 
ma  Elsie  was  the  first  narrator  of  the  evening. 

"  I  have  been  reading  Wilmer's  '  Travels  and 
Adventures  of  De  Soto/  "  she  said.  "  He  tells 
much  that  is  interesting  in  regard  to  the  In 
dians  inhabiting  Florida  when  the  Spaniards  im- 
vaded  it.  One  tribe  was  the  Natchez,  and  he 
says  that  they  and  other  tribes  also  had  made 
some  progress  in  civilization;  but  the  effect  of 
that  invasion  was  a  relapse  into  barbarism  from 
which  they  have  never  recovered.  At  the  time 
of  De  Soto's  coming  they  had  none  of  the  no- 

66 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  67 

madic  habits  for  which  the  North  American 
Indians  have  since  been  remarkable.  They 
then  lived  in  permanent  habitations  and  culti 
vated  the  land,  deriving  their  subsistence 
chiefly  from  it,  though  practising  hunting  and 
fishing,  partly  for  subsistence  and  partly  for 
sport.  They  were  not  entirely  ignorant  of  arts 
and  manufactures  and  some  which  they  prac 
tised  were  extremely  ingenious.  They  had  do 
mestic  utensils  and  household  furniture  which 
were  both  artistic  and  elegant.  Their  dresses, 
especially  those  of  the  females,  were  very  taste 
ful  and  ornate.  Some  specimens  of  their 
earthenware  are  still  preserved  and  are  highly 
creditable  to  their  skill  in  that  branch  of  in 
dustry.  Among  their  household  goods  they 
had  boxes  made  of  split  cane  and  other  ma 
terial,  ingeniously  wrought  and  ornamented; 
also  mats  for  their  floors.  Their  wearing  ap 
parel  was  composed  partly  of  skins  handsomely 
dressed  and  colored,  and  partly  of  a  sort  of 
woven  cloth  made  of  the  fibrous  bark  of  the 
-*«iulberry  tree  and  a  certain  species  of  wild 
hemp.  Their  finest  fabrics,  used  by  the  wives 
and  daughters  of  the  caciques,  were  obtained 


68  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

from  the  bark  of  the  young  mulberry  shoots 
beaten  into  small  fibres,  then  bleached  and 
twisted  or  spun  into  threads  of  a  convenient 
size  for  weaving,  which  was  done  in  a  very 
simple  manner  by  driving  small  stakes  into  the 
ground,  stretching  a  warp  across  from  one  to 
another,  then  inserting  the  weft  by  using  the 
fingers  instead  of  a  shuttle.  By  thia  tedious 
process  they  made  very  beautiful  shawls  and 
mantillas,  with  figured  borders  of  most  exqui 
site  patterns." 

"  They  must  have  been  very  industrious,  I 
think,"  said  Elsie. 

"  Yes/'  assented  her  grandmother.  "  The 
weavers  I  presume  were  women;  but  the  men 
also  seem  to  have  been  industrious,  for  they 
manufactured  articles  of  gold,  silver,  and 
copper.  None  of  iron,  however.  Some  of  their 
axes,  hatchets,  and  weapons  of  war  were  made 
of  copper,  and  they,  like  the  Peruvians,  pos 
sessed  the  art  of  imparting  a  temper  to  that 
metal  which  made  it  nearly  equal  to  iron  for 
the  manufacture  of  edge  tools.  The  Peruvians, 
it  is  said,  used  an  alloy  of  copper  and  tin  for 
such  purposes;  and  that  might  perhaps  be 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  69 

harder  than  brass,  which  is  composed  chiefly  of 
copper  and  zinc." 

"Had  they  good  houses  to  lire  in,  grandma?" 
asked  Ned. 

"  Yes/'  she  replied;  "  even  those  of  the  com 
mon  people  were  much  better  than  the  log  huts 
of  our  Western  settlers,  or  the  turf-built  shan 
ties  of  the  Irish  peasantry.  Some  were  thirty 
feet  square  and  contained  several  rooms  each, 
and  some  had  cellars  in  which  the  people  stored 
their  grain.  The  houses  of  the  caciques  were 
built  on  mounds  or  terraces,  and  sometimes  had 
porticos,  and  the  walls  of  some  were  hung  with 
prepared  buckskin  which  resembled  tapestry, 
while  others  had  carpets  of  the  same  material. 
Some  of  tl^eir  temples  had  sculptured  orna 
ments.  A  Portuguese  gentleman  tells  of  one 
on  the  roof  or  cupola  of  a  temple  which  was  a 
carved  bird  with  gilded  eyes. 

"  The  religion  of  the  Natchez  resembled  that 
of  the  Peruvians;  they  worshipped  the  sun  as 
the  source  of  light  and  heat,  or  a  symbol  of  the 
divine  goodness  and  wisdom.  They  believed  in 
the  immortality  of  the  human  soul  and  in 
future  rewards  and  punishments;  in  the  exist- 


70  ELSIE  IN  TEE  SOUTH. 

ence  of  a  supreme  and  omnipotent  Deity  called 
the  Great  Spirit  and  also  in  an  evil  spirit  of  in 
ferior  power,  who  was  supposed  to  govern  the 
seasons  and  control  the  elements.  They  seem 
not  to  have  been  image-worshippers  until  the 
Spaniards  made  them  such.  Their  government 
was  despotic,  but  not  tyrannical.  They  were 
ruled  by  their  chiefs,  whose  authority  was  pa 
triarchal,  who  were  like  popes  or  bishops,  rather 
than  princes,  but  who  never  abused  their 
power." 

Grandma  Elsie  paused  as  if  she  had  finished 
her  narration  and  Ned  exclaimed,  "  Oh,  that 
isn't  all,  grandma,  is  it?  " 

"  All  of  my  part  of  the  account,  for  the 
present  at  least,"  she  said  with  her  sweet  smile. 
Then  turning  to  Lucilla: 

"You  will  tell  us  the  story  of  the  Princess 
Xualla,  will  you  not?  " 

"  You  could  surely  do  it  much  better  than  I, 
Grandma  Elsie,"  was  the  modest  rejoinder; 
"  but  if  you  wish  it  I  will  do  my  best." 

"  We  do,"  replied  several  voices,  and  Lucilla,. 
encouraged  by  a  look  and  smile  from  her  father 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  11 

which  seemed  to  speak  confidence  in  her  ability, 
at  once  began. 

"  It  seems  that  De  Soto,  not  finding  there  the 
gold  for  which  he  had  come,  and  encouraged  by 
the  Indians,  who  wanted  to  be  rid  of  him,  to 
think  that  it  might  be  discovered  in  regions  still 
remote,  started  again  upon  his  quest,  taking  a 
northerly  or  northwesterly  direction. 

"  As  they  journeyed  on  they  came  to  a  part 
of  Florida  governed  by  a  female  cacique — a 
beautiful  young  girl  called  the  Princess  Xualla. 
Her  country  was  a  fine  open  one,  well  culti 
vated.  They  reached  the  neighborhood  of  her 
capital — a  town  on  the  farther  side  of  a  river — 
about  an  hour  before  nightfall.  Here  they  en 
camped  and  were  about  to  seize  some  Indians 
to  get  from  them  information  of  the  country 
and  people.  But  some  others  on  the  farther 
«ide  of  the  stream  hastened  over  in  a  canoe  to 
ask  what  was  wanted. 

"  De  Soto  had  had  a  chair  of  state  placed  on 
the  margin  of  the  stream  and  placed  himself 
in  it.  The  Indians  saluted  him  and  asked 
whether  he  was  for  peace  or  for  war.  He  re- 


72  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

plied  that  he  wished  to  be  at  peace  and  hoped 
they  would  supply  him  with  proAdsions  for  his 
army. 

"  They  answered  that  they  wished  to  be  at 
peace,  but  the  season  had  been  one  of  scarcity 
and  they  had  barely  enough  food  for  them 
selves.  Their  land,  they  said,  was  governed  by 
a  maiden  lady  and  they  would  report  to  her  of 
the  arrival  of  the  strangers  and  what  they  de 
manded. 

"  They  then  returned  to  their  canoe  and 
paddled  back  to  the  town  to  carry  the  news  to 
the  princess  and  chieftains.  The  Spaniards, 
watching  the  canoe,  saw  those  in  it  received  by 
a  crowd  of  their  countrymen  at  the  landing 
place,  and  that  their  news  seemed  to  cause  some 
commotion.  But  soon  several  canoes  left  the 
wharf  and  came  toward  the  Spaniards.  The 
first  was  fitted  up  with  a  tasteful  canopy  and 
various  decorations.  It  was  filled  with  women 
all  gayly  dressed,  among  them  the  princess,  the 
splendor  of  whose  appearance  almost  dazzled 
the  eyes  of  the  beholders.  There  were  five  or 
six  other  canoes,  which  held  her  principal  offi 
cers  and  attendants. 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  73 

"  When  the  boats  reached  the  shore  the  In 
dians  disembarked  and  placed  a  seat  for  their 
lady  opposite  to  De  Soto's  chair  of  state.  She 
saluted  the  strangers  with  grace  and  dignity, 
then,  taking  her  seat,  waited  in  silence  as  if  ex 
pecting  her  visitors  to  begin  the  conference. 

"  For  several  minutes  De  Soto  gazed  upon 
her  with  feelings  of  admiration  and  reverence. 
He  had  seldom  seen  a  more  beautiful  female,  or 
one  in  whom  the  conscious  pride  of  elevated 
rank  was  so  nicely  balanced  with  womanly  re 
serve  and  youthful  modesty.  She  seemed  about 
nineteen  years  of  age,  had  perfectly  regular 
features  and  an  intellectual  countenance,  a 
beautiful  form,  and  she  was  richly  dressed. 
Her  robe  and  mantilla  were  of  the  finest  woven 
cloth  of  native  manufacture  and  as  white  and 
delicate  of  texture  as  the  finest  linen  of  Eu 
rope.  Her  garments  were  bordered  with  a  rich 
brocade  composed  of  feathers  and  beads  of  vari 
ous  colors  interwoven  with  the  material  of  the 
cloth.  She  wore  also  a  profusion  of  pearls  and 
some  glittering  ornaments  which  the  Spaniards 
supposed  to  be  of  gold.  Her  name  was  Xualla 
and  she  ruled  over  several  provinces. 


H  ELSIE  IN  TEE  SOUTH. 

"Juan  Ortiz,  being  acquainted  with  several 
Indian  dialects,  acted  as  interpreter  and  told  of 
the  needs  of  the  Spaniards.  Xualla  was  sorry 
the  harvest  had  been  so  poor  that  she  had  little 
ability  to  relieve  their  wants.  She  invited 
them  to  fix  their  quarters  in  her  principal  vil 
lage  while  it  was  convenient  for  them  to  stay 
in  the  neighborhood.  Then  she  took  from  her 
neck  a  necklace  of  pearls  of  great  value  and  re 
quested  Juan  Ortiz  to  present  it  to  the  gov 
ernor,  as  it  would  not  be  modest  for  her  to  give 
it  herself. 

"  De  Soto  arose,  took  it  respectfully,  and  pre 
sented  a  ruby  ring  in  return,  taking  it  from  his 
own  finger.  That  seems  to  have  been  con 
sidered  a  ratification  of  peace  between  them. 
The  Spanish  troops  were  taken  over  the  river 
and  quartered  in  the  public  square  in  the  centre 
of  the  town  and  the  princess  sent  them  a  supply 
of  good  provisions,  and  poultry  and  other 
delicacies  for  De  Soto's  table. 

"  Xualla's  mother  was  living  in  retirement 
about  twelve  leagues  from  her  daughter's  capi 
tal.  Xualla  invited  her  to  come  and  see  these 
strange  people — the  Spaniards — but  she  de- 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  75 

clined  and  reproved  her  daughter  for  entertain 
ing  travellers  of  whom  she  knew  nothing.  And 
events  soon  showed  that  she  was  right;  for  the 
Spaniards,  acting  with  their  usual  perfidy,  made 
Xualla  a  prisoner,  robbed  the  people,  the 
temples  and  burial  places,  and  tried  to  get  pos 
session  of  her  mother.  Xualla  was  urged  and 
probably  finally  compelled  by  threats  to  direct 
them  to  the  mother's  abode. 

"  A  young  Indian  warrior,  evidently  occupy 
ing  some  prominent  position  under  her  govern 
ment,  was  given  directions  which  were  not 
heard  or  understood  by  the  Spaniards.  He 
made  a  sign  of  obedience,  then  turned  to  the 
Spaniards  and  gave  them  to  understand  that  he 
was  ready  to  be  their  conductor.  One  of  them, 
named  Juan  Anasco,  had  been  selected  to  go 
in  search  of  the  widow,  and  now  thirty  Span 
iards,  under  his  command,  started  on  that 
errand. 

"  As  they  proceeded  on  their  way  the  young 
ehief  seemed  to  grow  more  melancholy.  After 
travelling  about  five  miles  they  stopped  for  a 
rest,  and  while  the  soldiers  were  taking  some  re 
freshments  the  guide  sat  in  pensive  silence  by 


76  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

the  side  of  the  road,  refusing  to  partake  of  the 
repast.  He  laid  aside  his  mantle,  or  cloak, 
which  was  made  of  the  finest  of  sable  furs,  took 
off  his  quiver,  and  began  to  draw  out  the  arrows 
one  by  one. 

"  The  curiosity  of  the  Spaniards  was  excited; 
they  drew  near  and  admired  the  arrows,  which 
were  made  of  reeds,  feathered  with  the  dark 
plumage  of  the  crow  or  raven,  and  variously 
pointed,  some  with  bones  properly  shaped, 
others  with  barbs  of  very  hard  wood,  while  the 
last  one  in  the  quiver  was  armed  with  a  piece  of 
flint  cut  in  a  triangular  form  and  exceedingly 
sharp.  This  he  held  in  his  hand  while  the 
Spaniards  were  examining  the  others,  and  sud 
denly  he  plunged  the  barb  of  flint  into  his 
throat  and  fell  dead. 

"  The  other  Indians  stood  aghast  and  began 
to  fill  the  air  with  their  lamentations.  From 
them  I  presume  it  was  that  the  Spaniards  then 
learned  that  the  young  chief  was  affianced  to 
the  princess  and  was  very  much  beloved  and  re 
spected  by  the  whole  nation.  He  had  com 
mitted  suicide  to  escape  betraying  the  mother 
of  hie  betrothed  into  the  hands  of  the  Span- 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  77 

iards.  In  obedience  to  the  order  of  the  prin 
cess  he  had  undertaken  to  guide  those  cruel 
enemies  to  the  widow's  hiding  place,  but  he  well 
knew  that  she  was  forced  to  give  the  order  and 
that  the  carrying  out  of  it  would  be  the  cause 
of  increased  trouble  to  her  and  her  parent,  and 
he  had  told  one  of  the  Indians  who  were  of  the 
party  that  it  would  be  better  for  him,  to  die 
than  to  be  the  means  of  increasing  the  afflic 
tions  of  those  whom  he  so  dearly  loved. 

"  The  grief  and  despair  of  Xualla,  when  she 
heard  of  the  death  of  her  betrothed,  were  so 
great  that  even  the  Spaniards  were  moved  to 
pity.  For  several  days  she  shut  herself  up  in 
her  own  dwelling  and  was  not  seen  by  either  the 
Spaniards  or  her  own  people. 

"  In  the  meantime  the  Spaniards  were  rob 
bing  the  tombs  and  temples  of  the  country, 
finding  great  spoil  there. 

"  About  a  week  after  the  death  of  the  young 
chief,  De  Soto  told  Xualla  she  must  send  an 
other  guide  with  a  party  of  Spaniards  to  her 
mother's  habitation.  She  promptly  and  decid 
edly  refused  to  do  so,  saying  she  had  been  justly 
punished  once  for  consenting  to  place  her  poor 


78  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

mother  in  his  power,  and  no  fears  for  herself 
would  ever  make  her  do  so  again.  She  said  he 
had  made  her  as  miserable  as  she  could  be,  and 
now  she  set  him  at  defiance.  She  wished  she 
had  listened  to  the  advice  of  her  wise  counsel 
lors  and  driven  him  away  from  her  shores  when 
he  first  came  with  his  false  and  deceitful 
promises  of  peace  and  friendship;  for  she  would 
have  saved  herself  from  that  sorrow  and  re 
morse  which  now  made  her  life  insupportable. 
*  Why  do  you  still  remain  in  my  country? '  she 
asked.  '  Are  there  no  other  lands  to  be  robbed, 
no  other  people  to  be  made  miserable?  Here 
there  is  nothing  for  you  to  do;  you  have  taken 
all  we  had,  and  you  can  add  nothing  to  our 
wretchedness.  Go,  coward  as  you  are!  Cease 
to  make  war  on  helpless  women;  and  if  you 
must  be  a  villain,  let  your  conduct  prove  that 
you  are  a  man! ' ' 

"I  think  she  was  very  brave  to  talk  to  him 
in  that  way,"  said  Elsie.  "  Did  he  kill  her 
for  it?" 

"  No,"  replied  Lucilla,  "  he  was  polite  and 
courteous  as  usual,  but  told  her  that  the  King 
of  Spain  was  the  true  sovereign  and  lawful  pro- 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  <9 

prietor  of  the  country  over  which  she  claimed 
to  be  princess,  and  that,  in  all  those  matters 
which  had  offended  her,  the  Spanish  army  had 
acted  under  the  authority  of  that  great  mon 
arch,  to  whom  she  herself  was  bound  to  render 
obedience. 

"  Next  he  told  her  she  must  accompany  the 
Spaniards  on  their  march  as  far  as  the  border 
of  her  dominions  and  that  she  would  be  ex 
pected  to  control  her  subjects  and  to  make  them 
entirely  submissive  to  the  Spaniards.  He 
promised  that  she  should  be  treated  with  the 
respect  and  delicacy  due  to  her  rank  and  sex. 

"  But  the  one  who  tells  the  story  says  she  did 
not  receive  such  usage  as  she  deserved.  It  was 
on  the  3d  day  of  May,  1540,  that  the  Spaniards 
left  Cofachiqui,  compelling  the  princess  to  ac 
company  them  and  requiring  her  to  call  upon 
her  subjects  to  carry  burdens  for  them  from 
one  stopping  place  to  another.  They  passed 
through  a  delightful  valley  called  Xualla,  which 
had  many  groves,  plantations,  and  pasture 
grounds.  On  the  seventh  day  they  came  to  8 
province  called  Chulaque,  supposed  to  have  been 
inhabited  by  a  tribe  of  Cherokees.  But  before 


80  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

the  Spaniards  had  reached  this  point  Xualla 
had  contrived  to  escape,  assisted  by  two  of  her 
female  slaves  who  were  in  attendance  upon 
her/' 

"  Oh,  I  hope  they  didn't  catch  her  again — 
the  Spaniards,  I  mean,"  exclaimed  Ned. 

"  No,"  replied  Lucilla;  "  De  Soto  would  not 
allow  her  to  be  pursued." 

"  Did  he  and  his  men  stay  there  in  that  beau 
tiful  valley,  Lu?"  asked  Elsie. 

"  No;  as  he  could  not  find  the  gold  he  so 
coveted  in  Florida,  he  travelled  on  in  a  westerly 
direction  till  he  reached  the  Mississippi;  a  hard 
journey  through  a  wilderness  of  forests  and 
marshes.  He  could  nowhere  find  the  gold  he 
so  coveted,  became  discouraged  and  worn  out, 
was  stricken  with  malignant  fever,  and  died  on 
the  banks  of  the  Mississippi  in  June,  1542." 

"  A  victim  to  the  love  of  gold,  like  so  many  of 
his  countrymen,"  sighed  Grandma  Elsie.  "  The 
Bible  tells  us  *  the  love  of  money  is  the  root  of 
all  evil,'  and  history  repeats  the  lesson.  The 
love  of  money  led  to  Pizarro's  wicked  attack 
upon  the  Peruvians,  and  the  conquest  of  that 
country  was  a  source  of  trouble  and  calamity  to 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  81 

all,  or  nearly  all  who  were  concerned  in  it.  As 
seen  as  De  Soto  left,  after  the  capture  of  Cuzco, 
the  victors  began  to  quarrel  with  each  other  for 
the  spoils.  Almagro  provoked  a  war  with  Pi- 
zarro,  was  taken  prisoner  and  strangled.  Gon- 
zalo  Pizarro  was  beheaded  by  his  own  country 
men.  Another  of  the  brothers,  Hernando, 
returned  to  Spain,  where  he  was  thrown  into 
prison  and  kept  there  for  many  years.  Fran 
cisco  Pizarro  himself  fell  a  victim  to  the 
resentment  of  Almagro's  soldiers.  He  was 
assaulted  in  his  own  palace,  where  he  had  just 
finished  his  dinner  when  the  avengers  entered. 
All  his  servants  and  guests  except  his  half- 
brother,  Martinez  de  Alcantara,  instantly  fled 
and  abandoned  him  to  his  fate.  It  was  mid 
day  when  the  assassins  entered  the  palace  with 
drawn  weapons  and  loudly  proclaiming  their 
intention  to  kill  the  tyrant.  There  were  up 
ward  of  a  thousand  persons  in  the  plaza,  but 
no  one  opposed  them;  they  merely  looked  coldly 
on,  saying  to  each  other,  *  These  men  are  going 
to  kill  the  governor.' " 

"  He  deserved  it  for  killing  Almagro,  didn't 
he,  grandma?  "  asked  Ned. 


82  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH, 

"  He  certainly  did,"  replied  Grandma  Elsie. 
"  But  they  should,  if  possible,  have  given  him 
a  trial;  everyone  has  a  right  to  that.  It  is  right 
that  murderers  should  be  put  to  death,  law 
fully — for  the  Bible  says,  'Whoso  sheddeth 
man's  blood,  by  man  shall  his  blood  be  shed/ 
History  tells  us  it  is  probable  that  not  more 
than  twenty  Spaniards  in  getting  the  mastery 
of  the  great  empire  of  Peru — one  of  the  largest 
upon  earth — became  rich,  and  in  the  end  they 
made  nothing;  all  that  they  gained  was  ruin — 
individual  and  national.  Few,  if  any  of  them, 
carried  back  to  their  own  land  any  evidences  of 
their  success.  They  dissipated  their  ill-gotten 
riches  in  riotous  living,  or  lost  them  by  unfortu 
nate  speculations. 

"  I  must  tell  you  of  the  fate  of  another  of 
Pizarro's  band — the  priest  Vincent,  or  Valverde. 
He  counselled,  or  consented  to,  many  of  the 
most  enormous  crimes  committed  by  that  mon 
ster  of  cruelty  and  avarice  Pizarro,  who,  after 
some  years  of  their  association  in  crime,  made 
him  Bishop  of  Cuzco.  In  November,  1541,  he 
•(Vincent)  went  with  a  considerable  number  of 
Spaniards,  who  had  served  under  Pizarro,  to  the 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  83 

island  of  Puna,  where  they  were  all  massacred 
by  the  Indians.  On  that  very  island,  about 
nine  years  before,  Pizarro  had  butchered  the 
people,  Vincent  conniving  at  the  crime.  The 
historian  says  '  the  murderers  slandered  the 
Archangel  Michael,  by  pretending  that  he 
assisted  them  in  their  bloody  performance;  but 
no  angel  interposed  when  Vincent  and  his  fel 
low  assassins  were  about  to  be  put  to  death  by 
the  infidels.' " 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE  next  day,  by  Grandma  Elsie's  invitation, 
the  students  of  the  history  of  Florida  gathered 
at  Ion,  and  Chester  took  his  turn  in  relating 
some  of  the  facts  he  had  come  upon  in  his 
reading. 

"De  Soto,"  he  said,  "died  in  June,  1542. 
Nearly  twenty  years  later — in  February,  1562 — 
two  good  vessels  under  command  of  Captain 
Jean  Ribaut,  a  French  naval  officer  of  experi 
ence  and  repute,  were  sent  out  by  Admiral  Co- 
ligny,  the  chief  of  the  Protestants  in  France, 
co  establish  colonies  in  unexplored  countries 
where  the  Protestants  would  be  at  liberty  to 
follow  the  dictates  of  their  consciences  without 
fear  of  persecution. 

"The  admiral  obtained  a  patent  from  Charles 
IX.,  armed  those  two  ships,  put  in  them  five 
hundred  and  fifty  veteran  soldiers  and  sailors, 
besides  many  young  noblemen  who  embarked  as 
volunteers,  and  appointed  Ribaut  as  com 
mander. 

84 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  85 

"  They  made  a  prosperous  voyage,  going  di 
rectly  to  the  coast  of  Florida,  avoiding  the 
routes  in  which  they  were  likely  to  meet  Span 
ish  vessels,  ag  the  success  of  their  expedition 
depended  upon  secrecy. 

"  On  the  30th  of  April  they  sighted  a  cape 
which  Ribaut  named  Frangois.  It  is  now  one 
of  the  headlands  of  Matanzas  inlet.  The  next 
day  he  discovered  the  mouth  of  a  river  which 
he  named  May,  because  they  entered  it  on  the 
1st  day  of  that  month,  but  which  is  now 
called  the  St.  Johns.  Here  they  landed  and 
erected  a  monument  of  stone  with  the  arms  of 
France  engraved  upon  it.  It  is  said  to  have 
been  placed  upon  a  little  sand  hillock  in  the 
river.  They  re-embarked  and  sailed  north 
ward,  landing  occasionally  and  finding  them 
selves  well  received  by  the  many  Indians,  to 
whom  they  made  little  presents  such  as  looking- 
glasses  and  bracelets.  They  continued  to  sail 
northward  till  they  entered  the  harbor  of  Port 
Royal,  where  they  anchored.  There  they  built 
a  small  fort  upon  a  little  island  and  called  it 
Fort  Charles,  in  honor  of  the  King  of  France. 

"  Eibaut  then  selected  twenty-five  men  to  re- 


86  ELSIE  IN  TEE  SOUTH. 

main  in  the  fort,  and  one  of  his  trusted  lieu 
tenants,  Charles  d' Albert,  to  command  them; 
gave  them  a  supply  of  ammunition  and  provi 
sions  and  left  with  a  parting  salute  of  artillery, 
replied  to  from  the  fort.  With  that  the  vessels 
sailed  away  for  France,  from  which  they  had 
been  absent  about  four  months. 

"  For  some  time  the  colony  prospered,  and 
made  various  excursions  among  the  Indians, 
who  received  and  treated  them  well.  But 
finally  this  effort  to  found  a  colony  proved  a 
failure. 

"  In  1564  Rene  de  Laudonniere  was  charged 
with  the  direction  of  a  new  one — this  also  sent 
out  by  Coligny.  Three  vessels  were  given  him, 
and  Charles  IX.  made  him  a  present  of  fifty 
thousand  crowns.  He  took  with  him  skilful 
workmen  and  several  young  gentlemen  who 
asked  permission  to  go  at  their  own  expense. 
He  landed  in  Florida  on  the  22d  of  June,  sailed 
up  the  River  St.  Johns,  and  began  the  building 
of  a  fort  which  he  named  Caroline  in  honor  of 
the  king. 

"  The  Indians  proved  friendly.  But  soon 
the  young  gentlemen  who  had  volunteered  to 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  87 

come  with  him  complained  of  being  forced  to 
labor  like  common  workmen,  and  fearing  that 
they  would  excite  a  mutiny,  he  sent  the  most 
turbulent  of  them  back  to  France  on  one  of  his 
vessels. 

"  But  the  trouble  increased  among  the  re 
maining  colonists  and  he  sent  out  part  of  them 
under  the  orders  of  his  lieutenant,  to  explore 
the  country.  A  few  days  later  some  sailors 
fled,  taking  with  them  the  two  boats  used  in 
procuring  provisions;  and  others,  who  had  left 
France  only  with  the  hope  of  making  their  for 
tunes,  seized  one  of  his  ships  and  went  cruising 
in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  Also  the  deserters  had 
had  a  bad  influence  upon  the  Indians,  who  now 
refused  to  supply  the  colonists  with  provisions, 
and  they  were  soon  threatened  with  famine.  I 
cannot  see  why  they  should  have  been,  with 
abundance  of  fish  in  river  and  sea,  and  wild 
game  and  fruits  in  the  woods,"  remarked  Ches 
ter,  then  went  on  with  his  story.  "The  his 
torians  tell  us  that  they  lived  for  some  time  on 
acorns  and  roots,  and  when  at  the  last  extremity 
were  saved  by  the  arrival  of  Captain  John  Haw 
kins,  August  3,  1565.  He  showed  them  great 


88  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

kindness,  furnishing  them  with  provisions  and 
selling  to  Laudonniere  one  of  his  ships  in  which 
they  might  return  to  France. 

"  In  telling  the  story  of  his  visit  to  Florida 
Hawkina  mentions  the  abundance  of  tobacco, 
sorrel,  maize,  and  grapes,  and  ascribes  the  fail 
ure  of  the  French  colo.ny  '  to  their  lack  of  thrift, 
as  in  such  a  climate  and  soil,  with  marvellous 
store  of  deer  and  divers  other  beasts,  all  men 
may  live/ 

"Laudonniere  was  waiting  for  a  favorable 
wind  to  set  sail,  when  Jean  Ribaut  arrived  with 
seven  vessels  carrying  supplies  and  provisions, 
some  emigrants  of  both  sexes,  and  four  hundred 
soldiers.  He  told  Laudonniere  his  loyalty  was 
suspected  by  the  French  court,  and  that  he  had 
been  deprived  of  the  governorship  of  Florida. 
That  news  only  made  Laudonniere  the  more 
eager  to  go  back  to  France  that  he  might  justify 
himself. 

"  After  landing  his  troops  Ribaut  went  to  ex 
plore  the  country,  leaving  some  of  his  men  to 
guard  the  ships.  Ribaut's  arrival  was  on  the 
29th  of  August.  On  the  4th  of  September  the 
French  in  his  vessels  sighted  a  large  fleet  ap- 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  &9 

preaching  and  asked  their  object.  '  I  am  Pedro 
Menendez  de  Aviles,  who  has  come  to  hang  and 
behead  all  Protestants  in  these  regions/  was  the 
haughty  reply  of  the  fleet's  commander.  t  If  I 
find  any  Catholic  he  shall  be  well  treated,  but 
every  heretic  shall  die.' 

"  The  French  fleet,  surprised  and  not  strong 
enough  to  cope  with  the  Spaniards,  cut  their 
cables  and  left,  and  Menendez  entered  an  inlet 
which  he  called  St.  Augustin,  and  there  began 
to  intrench  himself. 

"  Eibaut  called  together  all  his  forces  and  re 
solved  to  attack  the  Spaniards,  contrary  to  the 
advice  of  Laudonniere  and  all  his  officers.  On 
the  10th  of  September  he  embarked  for  that 
purpose,  but  was  scarcely  at  sea  when  a  hurri 
cane  dispersed  his  fleet.  Then  the  Spaniards 
attacked  Fort  Caroline. 

"Laudonniere  was  still  in  the  fort,  but  was 
sick  and  had  only  about  a  hundred  men,  scarcely 
twenty  of  them  capable  of  bearing  arms.  The 
Spaniards  took  the  fort,  massacred  all  the  sick, 
the  women  and  children,  and  hanged  the  sol 
diers  who  fell  into  their  hands. 

"  After  doing  all  he  could  to  defend  the  fort 


90  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

Laudonniere  cut  his  way  through  the  enemy 
and  plunged  into  the  woods,  where  he  found 
some  of  his  soldiers  who  had  escaped.  He  said 
what  he  could  for  their  encouragement  and  dur 
ing  the  night  led  them  to  the  seashore,  where 
they  found  a  son  of  Ribaut  with  three  vessels. 
On  one  of  these — a  small  brig — Laudonniere, 
Jacques  Ribaut,  and  a  few  others  escaped  from 
the  Spaniards  and  carried  the  news  of  the  dis 
aster  to  France. 

"  Laudonniere's  purpose  had  been  to  rejoin 
and  help  Jean  Ribaut,  but  his  vessel  being 
driven  out  to  sea,  he  was  unable  to  carry  out 
that  intention. 

"  Three  days  after  the  fort  was  taken  Ribaut's 
ships  were  wrecked  near  Cape  Canaveral,  and  he 
at  once  marched  in  three  divisions  toward  Fort 
Caroline.  When  the  first  division  came  near 
the  site  of  the  fort  they  were  attacked  by  the 
Spaniards,  surrendered  to  Menendez,  and  were 
all  put  to  death.  A  few  days  later  Ribaut  ar 
rived  with  his  party,  and  as  Menendez  pledged 
his  word  that  they  should  be  spared,  they  sur 
rendered  and  were  all  murdered,  Menendez  kill 
ing  Ribaut  with  his  own  hand.  Their  bodies 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  91 

were  hung  on  the  surrounding  trees  with  the 
inscription,  '  Executed,  not  as  Frenchmen,  but 
as  Lutherans.' " 

"  Lutherans?  "  echoed  Ned  inquiringly. 

"  Yes;  meaning  Protestants,"  replied  Chester. 
"  That  was  an  age  of  great  cruelty.  Satan  was 
very  busy,  and  multitudes  were  called  upon  to 
seal  their  testimony  to  Christ  with  their  blood. 

"But  to  go  on  with  the  story.  About  two 
years  after  a  gallant  Frenchman — Dominic  de 
Gourgues,  by  name — got  up  an  expedition  to 
avenge  the  massacre  of  his  countrymen  by  the 
Spaniards  at  Fort  Caroline.  He  came  to 
Florida  with  three  small  vessels  and  a  hundred 
and  eighty-four  men,  secured  the  help  of  the 
natives,  attacked  the  fort — now  called  by  the 
Spaniards  Fort  San  Mateo — and  captured  the 
entire  garrison.  Many  of  the  captives  were 
killed  by  the  Indians,  the  rest  De  Gourgues 
hanged  upon  the  trees  on  which  Menendez  had 
hanged  the  Huguenots,  putting  over  the  corpses 
the  inscription,  ( I  do  this,  not  as  to  Spaniards, 
nor  as  to  outcasts,  but  as  to  traitors,  thieves,  and 
murderers.'  His  work  of  revenge  accomplished, 
De  Gourgues  set  sail  for  France." 


92  ELSIE  IN  TEE  SOUTH. 

"Oh,"  sighed  little  Elsie,  "what  dreadful 
things  people  did  do  in  those  days!  I'm  glad 
I  didn't  live  then  instead  of  now." 

"  As  we  all  are,"  responded  her  mother; 
"  glad  for  you  and  for  ourselves." 

"Yes,"  said  Chester;  "and  I  think  I  heave 
now  come  to  a  suitable  stopping  place.  There 
seems  to  me  little  more  in  Florida's  history  that 
we  need  recount." 

"  No,"  said  Grandma  Elsie,  "  it  seems  to  be 
nothing  but  a  round  of  building  and  destroying, 
fighting  and  bloodshed,  kept  up  between  the 
Spaniards  and  the  French;  the  English  also  tak 
ing  part;  the  Indians  too,  and  in  later  years 
negroes  also.  In  1762  the  British  captured 
Havana  and  in  the  treaty  following  the  next 
year  Great  Britain  gave  Cuba  to  Spain  in  ex 
change  for  Florida. 

"  Florida  took  no  part  in  the  Revolutionary 
War  and  became  a  refuge  for  many  loyalists,  as 
it  was  afterward  for  fugitive  slaves.  In  1783 
Florida  was  returned  to  Spanish  rule,  Great 
Britain  exchanging  it  for  the  Bahamas." 

"  And  when  did  we  get  it,  grandma?  "  asked 
Ned. 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  98 

"In  1819,  by  a  treaty  between  our  country 
and  Spain." 

"  Then  the  fighting  stopped,  I  suppose?  " 

"No;  the  Seminole  wars  followed,  lasting 
from  1835  to  1842.  Florida  was  admitted  into 
the  Union  in  1845,  seceded  in  1861,  bore  her 
part  bravely  and  well  through  the  Civil  War, 
and  at  its  close  a  State  Convention  repealed  the 
ordinance  of  secession." 

"  So  since  that  she  has  been  a  part  of  our 
Union  like  the  rest  of  our  States;  hasn't  she, 
grandma?  "  asked  Ned. 

"  Yes;  a  part  of  our  own  dear  country — a 
large  and  beautiful  State." 

"  And  probably  it  won't  be  long  now  till  some 
of  us,  at  least,  will  see  her,"  observed  Grace  with 
satisfaction. 

"  How  soon  will  the  Dolphin  be  ready, 
papa?  " 

"  By  the  time  we  are,"  replied  the  cap 
tain,  "  which  will  be  as  soon  as  Max  can 
join  us." 

"  Dear  Max!  I  long  for  the  time  when  he  will 
be  with  us  again,"  eaid  Violet. 

"  I  suppose  by  this  time  he  knowa  how  to 


94  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

manage  a  vessel  almost  as  well  as  you  do, 
papa?  "  observed  Ned  in  an  inquiring  tone. 

"  I  hope  so,"  his  father  replied  with  a  smile. 

"  So  the  passengers  may  all  feel  very  safe,  I 
suppose,"  said  Mrs.  Lilburn. 

"  And  that  being  the  case  you  are  willing  to 
be  one  of  them,  Cousin  Annis,  are  you  not?  " 
queried  Violet  hospitably. 

"  More  than  willing;  glad  and  grateful  to  you 
and  the  captain  for  the  invitation  to  be,  as  my 
husband  is  also,  I  know." 

"  I  am  neither  able  nor  desirous  to  deny  that, 
my  dear/'  laughed  Cousin  Eonald.  "Ah,  ha; 
ah,  ha;  um,  hm!  It  will  be  my  first  visit  to 
Florida,  and  I'm  thinking  we'll  have  a  grand 
time  of  it — looking  up  the  sites  and  scenes  of 
the  old  histories  we've  been  reading  and  chat 
ting  over." 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  yacht  was  ready  in  due  season,  and  the 
weather  being  favorable  Captain  Raymond  in 
vited  as  many  of  the  connection  as  could  be 
comfortably  accommodated  on  board,  to  go  with, 
him  to  witness  the  graduation  of  Max  and  his 
classmates.  Certainly  his  own  immediate 
family,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dinsmore  and  Grandma 
Elsie  would  be  of  that  number;  Evelyn  Leland 
also  and  Cousins  Ronald  and  Annis  Lilburn. 

Max's  joy  in  meeting  them  all — especially  his 
father  and  the  others  of  his  own  immediate 
family — was  evidently  very  great,  for  it  was  the 
first  sight  he  had  had  of  any  of  them  for  two 
years  or  more.  He  passed  his  examination  suc 
cessfully,  received  his  diploma,  and  was  ap 
pointed  to  the  engineer  corps  of  the  navy.  He 
received  many  warm  congratulations  and  valu 
able  gifts  from  friends  and  relatives;  but  the 
pleasure  in  his  father's  eyes,  accompanied  by 

95 


96  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

the  warm,  affectionate  clasp  of  his  hand,  and 
his  look  of  parental  pride  in  his  firstborn,  was 
-a  sweeter  reward  to  the  young  man  than  all  else 
put  together. 

"  You  are  satisfied  with  me,  father? "  he 
asked  in  a  low  aside. 

"  Entirely  so,  my  dear  boy,"  was  the  prompt 
and  smiling  rejoinder;  "  you  have  done  well  and 
made  me  a  proud  and  happy  father.  And  now, 
if  you  are  quite  ready  for  the  homeward-bound 
trip,  we  will  go  aboard  the  yacht  at  once." 

"  I  am  entirely  ready,  sir,"  responded  Max  in 
joyful  tones;  "  trunk  packed  and  good-byes 
said." 

But  they  were  detained  for  a  little,  some  of 
Captain  ^Raymond's  old  friends  coming  up  to 
congratulate  him  and  his  son  on  the  latter's 
successful  entrance  into  the  most  desirable 
corps  of  the  navy.  Then,  on  walking  down  to 
the  wharf,  they  found  the  Dolphin's  dory  wait 
ing  for  them  and  saw  that  the  rest  of  their  party 
was  already  on  board,  on  deck  and  evidently 
looking  with  eager  interest  for  their  coming. 

Max  remarked  it  with  a  smile,  adding,  "  How 
the  girls  have  grown,  father!  and  how  lovely 


ELSIE  IN  TEE  SOUTH.  97 

they  all  are!  girls  that  any  fellow  might  be 
proud  to  claim  as  his  sisters — and  friend.  Eve 
lyn,  I  suppose,  would  hardly  let  me  claim  her 
as  a  sister." 

"I  don't  know,"  laughed  his  father;  "she 
once  very  willingly  agreed  to  a  proposition  from 
me  to  adopt  her  as  my  daughter." 

"Yes?  I  think  she  might  well  be  glad 
enough  to  do  that;  but  to  take  me  for  a  brother 
would  not  perhaps  be  quite  so  agreeable." 

"  Well,  your  Mamma  Vi  objecting  to  having 
so  old  a  daughter,  we  agreed  to  consider  our 
selves  brother  and  sister;  so  I  suppose  you  can 
consider  her  your  aunt,  if  you  wish." 

"  There  now,  father,  what  a  ridiculous  idea!  " 
laughed  Max. 

"  Not  so  very,"  returned  his  father,  "  since 
aunts  are  sometimes  younger  than  their 
nephews." 

But  they  had  reached  the  yacht  and  the  con 
versation  went  no  farther.  In  another  moment 
they  were  on  deck,  and  the  dear  relatives  and 
friends  there  crowding  about  Max  to  tell  of 
their  joy  in  having  him  in  their  midst  again 
and  in  knowing  that  he  had  so  successfully  fin- 


•98  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

ished  his  course  of  tuition  and  fully  entered 
upon  the  profession  chosen  as  his  life  work. 

Max,  blushing  with  pleasure,  returned  hearty 
thanks  and  expressed  his  joy  in  being  with  them 
again.  "  The  two  years  of  absence  have  seemed 
&  long  time  to  be  without  a  sight  of  your  dear 
faces,"  he  said,  "and  I  feel  it  a  very  great 
pleasure  to  be  with  you  all  again." 

"  And  it  will  be  a  delight  to  get  home  once 
more,  won't  it?  "  asked  Grace,  hanging  lovingly 
on  his  arm. 

"Indeed  it  will,"  he  responded;  "and  get 
ting  aboard  the  dear  old  yacht  seems  like  a  long 
step  in  that  direction;  particularly  as  all  the 
family  and  so  many  other  of  my  dear  friends 
are  here  to  welcome  me." 

"Well,  we're  starting,"  said  Ned.  "The 
sailors  have  lifted  anchor  and  we  begin  to  move 
down  stream." 

At  that  a  silence  fell  upon  the  company,  all 
gazing  out  upon  the  wintry  landscape  and  the 
vessels  lying  at  anchor  in  the  river  as  they 
passed  them  one  after  another.  But  a  breeze 
had  sprung  up,  the  air  was  too  cool  for  comfort, 
and  presently  all  went  below. 


ELSIE  IN  TEE  SOUTH.  99 

Then  came  the  call  to  the  table,  where  they 
found  an  abundance  of  good  cheer  awaiting 
them.  The  meal  was  enlivened  by  much  cheer 
ful  chat,  Max  doing  his  full  share  of  it  in  reply 
to  many  questions  in  regard  to  his  experiences- 
during  the  two  years  of  his  absence;  especially 
of  the  last  few  weeks  in  which  he  had  not  been 
heard  from,  except  in  a  rather  hurried  an 
nouncement  of  his  arrival  at  Annapolis.  They 
were  all  making  much  of  the  fine  young  fellow* 
but,  as  his  father  noticed  with  pleasure,  it  did 
not  seem  to  spoil  him.  His  manner  and  speech 
were  modest  and  unassuming,  and  he  listened 
with  quiet  respect  to  the  remarks  and  queries  of 
the  older  people.  The  younger  ones  were  quiet- 
listeners  to  all. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  meal  all  withdrew 
to  the  saloon  and  the  younger  ones  collected  in 
a  group  by  themselves.  Max,  seated  near  to- 
Evelyn  Leland,  turned  to  her  and  in  a  grave 
and  quiet  tone  remarked,  "  It  seems  a  long  time 
since  we  have  had  a  bit  of  chat  together,  Aunt 
Evelyn." 

At  that  her  eyes  opened  wide  in  astonish 
ment. 


100  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

"  Aunt?  "  she  repeated.  "  Why— why,  Max, 
what  do  you  mean  by  calling  me  that?  " 

"I  supposed  it  was  the  proper  title  for  my 
father's  sister/'  he  returned  with  a  twinkle  of 
fun  in  his  eye. 

"Oh!"  she  laughed.  "I  had  nearly  for 
gotten  that  bargain  made  with  the  captain  so 
long  ago.  And  he  has  told  you  of  it?  " 

"  Yes;  it  was  in  answer  to  a  remark  of  mine 
showing  that  I  should  like  to  include  you 
among  my  sisters.  But  can  you  hold  that  rela 
tionship  to  my  father  and  to  me  at  the  same 
time?" 

"  That  is  a  question  to  be  carefully  con 
sidered,"  she  laughed;  "  and  in  the  meantime 
suppose  you  just  go  back  to  the  old  way  of  call 
ing  me  simply  Evelyn  or  Eva.  And  shall  I  call 
you  Max,  as  of  old?" 

"Yes.  yes,  indeed!  it's  a  bargain!  And  now, 
girls,"  glancing  from  her  to  his  sisters,  "  as  I 
haven't  heard  from  home  in  some  weeks,  per 
haps  you  may  have  some  news  to  tell  me.  Has 
anything  happened?  or  is  anything  out  of  the 
usual  course  of  events  likely  to  happen?  " 

At  that  Grace  laughed,  Lucilla  blushed  and 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  101 

smiled,  and  little  Ned  burst  out  in  eager,  joyful 
tones,  "  Oh,  yes,  brother  Max!  papa  is  going  to 
take  us  all  to  Florida  in  a  day  or  two,  you  as 
well  as  the  rest." 

"Indeed!"  exclaimed  Max,  "that  will  be 
yery  pleasant,  I  think." 

"  Yes,"  continued  Neddie,  "  it's  because 
Cousin  Dr.  Arthur,  says  Chester  must  go  to  get 
cured  of  his  bad  cough  that  he's  had  so  long; 
and  of  course  Lu  must  go  if  he  does — Cousin 
•Chester,  I  mean — and  if  Lu  goes  the  rest  of  us 
ought  to  go  too.  Don't  you  think  so,  brother 
Max?  " 

Max's  only  reply  for  the  moment  was  a 
puzzled  look  from  one  to  another. 

"  You  may  as  well  know  it  at  once,  Max," 
Lucilla  said  with  a  smile.  "  Chester  and  I  are 
engaged,  and  naturally  he  wants  us  all  with 
him." 

"Is  it  possible!"  exclaimed  Max,  giving  her 
a  look  of  surprise  and  interest.  "  Why,  Lu,  I 
thought  father  was  quite  determined  to  keep 
his  daughters  single  till  they  were  far  beyond" 
your  present  age." 

"  Yes,"  she  returned  with  a  smile;  "  but  cir- 


102  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTS. 

cumstances  alter  cases.  Chester  saved  my  life 
— at  nearly  the  expense  of  his  own,"  she  added 
with  a  tremble  in  her  voice.  "  So  father  let 
him  tell  me — what  he  wanted  to,  and  allowed 
us  to  become  engaged.  But  that  is  to  be  all, 
for  a  year  or  more." 

"  Saved  your  life,  Lu?  Tell  me  all  about  it, 
do,  for  I  haven't  heard  the  story." 

"You  remember  the  anger  of  the  burglar 
whom  you  and  I  testified  against  some  years 
ago,  and  his  threat  to  be  revenged  on  me  ?  " 

"  Yes;  and  that  in  one  of  father's  letters  I 
was  told  that  he  had  escaped  from  prison.  And 
he  attacked  you?" 

"Yes;  he  fired  at  me  from  some  bushes  by 
the  roadside,  but  missed,  Chester,  who  was 
with  me,  backing  our  horses  just  in  time;  then 
they  fired  simultaneously  at  each  other  and  the 
convict  fell  dead,  and  Chester  terribly  wounded, 
while  I  escaped  unhurt.  But  I  thought  father 
had  written  you  all  about  it." 

"  If  so  that  letter  must  have  missed  me,"  said 
Max.  "And  Chester  hasn't  recovered  en 
tirely?" 

"  Not  quite;  his  lungs  seem  weak,  but  we  are 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  103 

hoping  that  a  visit  to  Florida  will  perfect  his 
cure." 

"I  hope  so  indeed!  I  hare  always  liked 
Chester  and  shall  welcome  him  as  a  brother-in- 
law,  since  he  has  saved  my  sister's  life  and  won 
her  heart." 

"  And  that  of  her  father/'  added  the  captain, 
coming  up  at  that  moment  and  laying  a  hand 
on  Lucilla's  shoulder  while  he  looked  down  at 
her  with  eyes  of  love  and  pride.  "He  has 
proved  himself  worthy  of  the  gift  of  her  hand." 

"I  think  I  must  have  missed  one  of  your 
letters,  father,"  said  Max;  "  for  surely  you  did 
not  intend  to  keep  me  in  ignorance  of  all  this?  " 

"  No,  my  son;  I  wrote  you  a  full  account  of 
all  but  the  engagement,  leaving  that  to  be  told 
on  your  arrival  here.  One  or  more  of  my 
recent  letters  must  have  missed  you." 

"  Too  bad! "  exclaimed  Max,  "  for  a  letter 
from  my  father,  or  from  any  one  of  the  home 
folks,  is  a  great  treat  when  I  am  far  away  on 
shipboard  or  en  some  distant  shore." 

"  And,  oh,  Max,  but  we  feel  it  a  great  treat 
when  one  comes  from  you,"  said  Grace. 

"Ah!  that's  very  good  of  you  all,"  he  re- 


104  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

turned  with  a  pleased  smile.  "  But  I  think 
we  may  look  forward  to  a  fine  time  for  the  next 
few  weeks  or  months,  as  we  expect  to  spend 
them  together." 

"  Yes,"  said  his  father,  then  asked,  "  Are 
you  well  up  in  the  history  of  Florida,  my  son?  J> 

"  Not  so  well  as  I  should  like  to  be,  sir,"  re 
turned  Max.  "  But  perhaps  I  can  refresh  my 
memory,  and  also  learn  something  new  on  that 
subject,  while  we  are  on  the  way  there." 
.  "  Yes;  we  have  a  good  supply  of  books  in  that 
line,  which  we  will  carry  along  for  your  benefit 
— and  to  perhaps  refresh  our  own  memories 
occasionally.  And  possibly  the  girls  may  like 
to  recount  to  you  some  of  the  tales  of  early 
times  in  that  part  of  our  country,  which  have 
interested  them  of  late,"  the  captain  continued 
with  a  smiling  glance  at  Evetyn  and  his  daugh 
ters.  All  three  at  once  and  heartily  expressed 
their  entire  willingness  to  do  so,  and  Max  re 
turned  his  thanks  with  the  gallant  remark  that 
that  would  be  even  more  delightful  than  read 
ing  the  accounts  for  himself. 

"  Papa,    can't    we    keep    right   on   now    ta 
Florida?"  aeked  Ned. 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  105 

"  No,  my  son;  there  are  several  reasons  why 
that  is  not  practicable — matters  to  be  attended 
to  at  home,  luggage  to  be  brought  aboard  the 
yacht,  and  so  forth.  Besides,  your  brother  no 
doubt  wants  a  sight  of  Woodburn  before  setting 
out  upon  a  journey  that  is  likely  to  keep  us 
away  from  there  for  some  weeks." 

"Yes,  indeed,  father,  you  are  right  about 
that,"  said  Max.  "  I  have  always  esteemed  my 
Woodbum  home  a  lovely  and  delightful  place, 
and  dare  say  I  shall  find  it  even  more  beautiful 
now  than  when  I  saw  it  last." 

"  Then  we'll  expect  to  hear  you  say  so  when 
you  get  there,"  said  Lucilla,  with  a  smile  of 
pleasure  and  assurance. 

And  she  was  not  disappointed;  when  at 
length  Woodburn  was  reached  Max's  admira 
tion  and  delight  were  evident  and  fully  equal 
to  her  expectations.  But  of  necessity  his  stay 
at  this  time  must  be  brief,  scarce  allowing 
opportunity  to  see  all  the  relatives  and  connec 
tions  residing  in  that  neighborhood,  if  he  would 
not  miss  having  a  share  in  the  contemplated 
trip  to  Florida. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE  Dolphin  carried  to  Florida  the  same 
party  that  she  had  brought  from  Annapolis, 
with  the  addition  of  Chester  Dinsmore  and  Dr. 
Harold  Travilla;  while  some  others  of  the  con 
nection  were  intending  to  travel  thither  by 
land.  The  voyage  was  but  a  short  one,  the 
weather  pleasant — though  cool  enough  to  make 
the  cabin  a  more  comfortable  place  for  family 
gatherings  than  the  deck — the  vessel  in  fine 
condition,  well  manned,  well  officered,  and  pro 
vided  with  everything  necessary  for  con 
venience,  comfort,  and  enjoyment.  Amuse 
ments — such  as  music,  books,  and  games — were 
always  to  be  had  in  abundance  aboard  the  yacht, 
but  on  this  occasion  the  collection  of  informa 
tion  in  regard  to  the  history  and  geography  of 
Florida  took  precedence  of  everything  else.  As 
soon  as  the  vessel  was  well  under  way  they  gath 
ered  about  a  table  in  the  saloon  on  which  were 

106 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  107 

maps  and  books  bearing  upon  the  subject,  and 
while  examining  them  chatted  freely  and  gayly 
in  regard  to  which  points  they  should  visit,  and 
how  long  remain  in  each  place. 

"  That  last  is  a  question  which  would  better 
be  decided  upon  the  spot,"  Captain  Raymond 
said  when  it  had  been  asked  once  or  twice. 
"  There  is  little  or  nothing  to  hurry  us,  so  that 
we  may  move  forward,  or  tarry  in  one  place  or 
another,  as  suits  our  convenience  or  inclina 
tion." 

"  We  will  call  at  Jacksonville,  I  suppose, 
father?"  Lucilla  said  inquiringly.  "I  see  it 
is  spoken  of  as  the  travel-centre  and  metropolis 
of  the  State." 

"Yes;  and  if  my  passengers  desire  to  go 
there  we  will  do  so." 

"  Can  we  go  all  the  way  in  the  Dolphin, 
papa?  "  asked  little  Elsie. 

"  Yes;  I  think,  however,  we  will  call  at  Fer- 
nandina  first,  as  it  is  nearer." 

"  It  is  on  an  island,  is  it  not?  "  asked  Evelyn. 

"Yes;  Amelia  Island,  at  the  mouth  of  St. 
Mary's  River." 

"  There  are  a  very  great  many  islands  on 


108  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

Florida's  coast,  I  think,"  said  Elsie.  "I  was 
looking  at  the  map  to-day  and  it  seemed  to  me 
there  were  thousands." 

"  So  there  are,"  said  her  father;  "  islands  of 
various  sizes,  from  a  mere  dot  in  some  cases  to 
from  thirty  to  fifty  miles  of  length  in  others." 

"  Then  we  won't  stop  at  all  of  them,  I  sup 
pose,"  remarked  Ned  sagely;  "  only  at  the  big 
ones,  won't  we,  papa?  " 

"  Yes;  and  not  at  every  one  of  them  either,'* 
answered  his  father,  with  a  look  of  amusement. 
"  Ten  thousand  or  more  stoppages  would  use 
up  rather  too  much  of  our  time." 

"Yes,  indeed!"  laughed  Ned.  "Most  of 
them  I'd  rather  just  look  at  as  we  pass  hy." 

"  We  will  want  to  see  St.  Augustine  and  other 
places  mentioned  in  the  history  we  have  been 
reading,"  said  Grace. 

"  Certainly,"  replied  her  father,  "  we  will  not 
neglect  them.  The  mouth  of  St.  John's  Eiver 
is  about  the  first  we  will  come  to.  Do  you  re 
member,  Elsie,  what  they  called  it,  and  what 
they  did  there?" 

"Oh,  yes,  papa,"  she  answered  eagerly. 
"  They  named  the  river  May,  and  set  up  a 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  109 

monument  of  stone  on  a  little  sand  bank  in  the 
river  and  engraved  the  arms  of  France  upon  it." 

"  Quite  correct,  daughter,"  the  captain  said 
in  a  tone  of  pleased  commendation;  "  I  see  yon 
have  paid  good  attention  to  our  reading  and 
talks  on  the  subject,  and  I  hope  soon  to  reward 
you  with  a  sight  of  the  scenes  of  the  occur 
rences  mentioned;  though  of  course  they  are 
greatly  changed  from  what  they  were  nearly 
four  hundred  years  ago." 

"  Wasn't  Jacksonville  formerly  known  by 
another  name,  captain?  "  asked  Evelyn. 

"  Yes,"  he  replied,  "  the  Indian  name  was 
Waccapilatka — meaning  Cowford  or  Oxford — 
but  in  1816  it  became  a  white  man's  town  and 
in  1822  its  name  was  changed  to  Jackson,  in 
honor  of  General  Andrew  Jackson.  I  think  we 
should  go  up  the  St.  Johns  to  that  city  before 
going  farther  down  the  coast." 

"  Yes,"  said  Mrs.  Travilla,  "  and  then  on  up 
the  river  and  through  the  lakes  to  De  Leon 
Springs.  We  all  want  to  see  that  place." 

All  in  the  company  seemed  to  approve  of  that 
plan  and  it  was  presently  decided  to  carry  it 
out.  They  did  not  stop  at  Fernandina,  only 


110  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

gazed  upon  it  in  passing,  made  but  a  short  stay 
at  Jacksonville,  then  passed  on  up  the  river  and 
through  the  lakes  to  De  Leon  Springs. 

Here  they  found  much  to  interest  them; — 
the  great  mineral  spring,  one  hundred  feet  in 
diameter  and  thirty  feet  deep,  its  water  so  clear 
that  the  bottom  could  be  distinctly  seen  and  so 
impregnated  with  soda  and  sulphur  as  to  make 
it  most  healthful,  giving  ground  for  the  legend 
that  it  is  the  veritable  Fountain  of  Perpetual 
Youth  sought  out  by  Ponce  de  Leon. 

The  ruins  of  an  old  Spanish  mill  close  at 
hand  interested  them  also.  These  consisted  of 
an  immense  brick  smokestack  and  furnace  cov 
ered  with  vines;  two  large  iron  wheels,  thrown 
down  when  the  mill  was  destroyed,  in  a  way  to 
cause  one  to  overlap  the  other,  and  now  a  gum 
tree  grows  up  through  them  so  that  the  arms 
of  the  wheels  are  deeply  imbedded  in  its  trunk. 

Our  friends  found  this  so  charming  a  spot 
that  they  spent  some  days  there.  Then  return 
ing  down  the  river,  to  the  ocean,  they  continued 
their  voyage  in  a  southerly  direction. 

Their  next  pause  was  at  St.  Augustine,  which 
they  found  a  most  interesting  old  city — the 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  Ill 

oldest  in  the  United  States — noted  for  its  pic 
turesque  beauty,  its  odd  streets  ten  to  twenty 
feet  wide,  without  sidewalks,  its  crumbling  old 
city  gates,  its  governor's  palace,  its  coquina- 
built  houses  with  overhanging  balconies,  its  sea 
walls  and  old  fort,  its  Moorish  cathedral,  and 
the  finest  and  most  striking  hotel  in  the 
world. 

But  what  interested  our  party  more  than  any 
thing  else  was  the  old  fort — called  San  Marco 
by  the  Spaniard,  but  now  bearing  the  Ameri 
can  name  of  Fort  Marion.  They  went  together 
to  visit  it  and  were  all  greatly  interested  in  its 
ancient  and  foreign  appearance;  in  the  dried-up 
moat,  the  drawbridges,  the  massive  arched  en 
trance,  dark  under-ways  and  dungeons. 

"Papa,"  said  Elsie,  "it's  a  dreadful  place,, 
and  very,  very  old,  isn't  it?  " 

"  Yes,"  he  answered;  "  it  was  probably  be 
gun  in  1565.  About  how  long  ago  was  that? >r 

"  More  than  three  hundred  years,"  she  re 
turned  after  a  moment's  thought.  "  Oh,  that 
is  a  long,  long  while!  " 

"  Yes,"  he  said,  "  a  very  long  while,  and  we 
may  be  very  thankful  that  our  lives  were  given 


112  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

us  in  this  time  rather  than  in  that;  for  it  was  a 
iime  of  ignorance  and  persecution." 

"Yes,  yes,  ignorance  and  persecution;"  the 
words  came  in  sepulchral  tones  from  the  depths 
of  the  nearest  dungeon,  "  here  have  I  lain  for 
three  hundred  years  with  none  to  pity  or  help. 
Oh,  'tis  a  weary  while!  Shall  I  never,  never 
escape?  " 

"  Oh,  papa,"  cried  Elsie  in  tones  of  affright, 
and  clinging  to  his  hand,  "how  dreadful! 
Can't  we  help  him  out?" 

"  I  don't  think  there  is  anyone  in  there, 
daughter,"  the  captain  said  in  reassuring  tones, 
her  Uncle  Harold  adding,  with  a  slight  laugh, 
*"  And  if  there  is  he  must  surely  be  pretty  well 
used  to  it  hy  this  time." 

All  their  little  company  had  been  startled  at 
first  and  felt  a  thrill  of  horror  at  thought  of 
such  misery,  but  now  they  all  laughed  and 
turned  to  Cousin  Ronald,  as  if  saying  surely  it 
was  his  doing. 

"  Yes,"  he  said,  "  the  voice  was  mine;  and 
thankful  we  may  be  that  those  poor  victims  of 
such  hellish  cruelty  have  long,  long  since  been 
released  from  their  pain." 


ELSIE  IN  TEE  SOUTH.  113 

"  Oh,  I  am  glad  to  know  that,"  exclaimed 
Elsie  with  a  sigh  of  relief;  "  but  please  let's  go 
away  from  here,  for  I  think  it's  a  dreadful 
place." 

"  Yes,"  said  her  father,  "  we  have  seen  it  all 
now  and  will  try  to  find  something  pleasanter 
to  look  at."  And  with  that  they  turned  and 
left  the  old  fort. 

Captain  Eaymond  and  his  little  company, 
feeling  in  no  haste  to  continue  their  journey, 
lingered  for  some  time  in  St.  Augustine  and  its 
neighborhood.  One  day  they  visited  an  island 
where  some  friends  were  boarding.  It  was  a 
very  pretty  place.  There  were  several  cottages 
standing  near  together  amid  the  orange  groves, 
one  of  them  occupied  by  the  proprietor — a 
finely  educated  Austrian  physician — and  his 
wife,  the  others  by  the  boarders.  The  party 
from  the  Dolphin  were  much  interested  in  the 
story  of  these  people  told  them  by  their  friend. 

"  The  doctor,"  he  said,  "  had  come  over  to 
America  before  our  Civil  War,  and  was  on  the 
island  when  Union  troops  came  into  the  neigh 
borhood.  He  was  one  day  walking  in  the 
woods  when  suddenly  a  party  of  Union  soldiers 


IH  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

appeared  and,  seeing  him,  took  him  for  a  spy, 
seized  him  and  declared  their  intention  to  shoot 
him.  They  tied  his  hands  behind  his  back,  led 
him  to  what  they  deemed  a  suitable  spot  on  the 
•edge  of  a  thick  part  of  the  wood,  then  turned 
and  walked  away  to  station  themselves  at  the 
proper  distance  for  firing.  But  the  instant 
their  eyes  were  off  him  the  prisoner  started  into 
the  wood  and  was  out  of  sight  before  they  were 
aware  that  he  was  making  an  attempt  to 
escape. 

"  They  pursued,  but  favored  by  the  thick 
growth  of  trees  and  shrubs,  he  kept  out  of  sight 
until  he  reached  a  palmetto,  which  ke  climbed 
— having  contrived  to  get  his  hands  free  as  ho 
ran — and  there  concealed  himself  among  the 
leaves.  He  had  hardly  ensconced  himself 
there  before  he  could  see  and  hear  his  foes  run 
ning  past  beneath  his  place  of  shelter,  beating 
about  the  bushes  and  calling  to  each  other  to 
make  sure  of  catching  the  rascally  spy.  But 
he  was  safely  hidden  and  at  length  they  gave  up 
the  search  for  the  time. 

"But  they  had  encamped  in  the  neighbor 
hood  and  for  several  days  and  nights  the 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  '115 

Austrian  remained  in  the  tree,  afraid  to  de 
scend  lest  he  should  be  caught  and  shot.  He 
did  not  starve,  as  he  could  eat  of  the 
cabbage  which  grows  at  the  top  of  that 
tree,  but  he  suffered  from  thirst  and  lack  of 
sleep,  as  he  could  rest  but  insecurely  in  the  tree- 
top.  When  two  or  three  days  and  nights  had 
passed  he  felt  that  he  could  stand  it  no  longer; 
he  must  get  water  and  food  though  at  the  risk 
of  his  life.  Waiting  only  for  darkness  and  a 
silence  that  led  him  to  hope  his  foes  were  not 
near  at  hand,  he  descended  and  cautiously  made 
his  way  through  the  wood.  He  presently 
reached  a  house  occupied  by  a  woman  only,  told 
her  his  story  and  asked  for  food  and  drink. 
Her  heart  was  touched  with  pity  for  his  hard 
case,  she  supplied  his  wants  and  told  him  she- 
would  put  food  in  a  certain  spot  where  he  oould 
get  it  the  next  night. 

"  He  thanked  her  and  told  her  he  wanted  to- 
get  away  from  that  neighborhood,  as  there  was 
no  safety  for  him  there.  She  said  she  thought 
she  might  be  able  to  secure  a  skiff  in  which  he 
could  go  up  or  down  the  coast  and  so  perhaps 
escape  the  soldiers.  He  was,  you  know,  a  physi- 


116  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

cian — not  a  sailor — and  knew  but  little  about 
managing  a  boat;  but  anything  seemed  better 
than  his  present  situation,  so  he  thanked  her 
and  said  he  would  be  glad  to  try  it. 

Shortly  afterward  she  informed  him  that  the 
boat  was  ready.  He  entered  it,  took  up  the 
oars,  and  started  down  the  coast.  But  a  storm 
came  on,  he  was  unable  to  manage  his  small 
craft,  it  was  upset  by  the  waves,  he  was  thrown 
into  the  water  and  presently  lost  consciousness. 
When  he  recovered  it  he  was  lying  in  a  berth 
on  board  a  much  larger  vessel  than  the  canoe,  a 
kindly-looking  man  leaning  over  him  using 
restoratives.  'Ah,  doctor/  he  said  with  a 
pleased  smile, '  I  am  glad,  very  glad  to  have  suc 
ceeded  in  restoring  you  to  consciousness;  glad 
to  have  been  able  to  rescue  you  from  a  watery 
grave.' 

"The  doctor  expressed  his  thanks,  but  ac 
knowledged  that  he  did  not  know  this  new 
friend,  who  seemed  to  know  him;  then  the  other 
asked  if  he  did  not  remember  having  prescribed 
for  a  sick  man  in  such  a  time  and  at  such  a 
place.  'It  was  I,'  he  added;  'you  then  saved 

my  life,  and  I  am  most  happy  to  have  been  en- 

i 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  Ill 

abled  to  save  yours  from  being  lost  in  the 
ocean/ 

"  The  talk  went  on;  the  doctor  told  of  his 
danger,  his  escape,  and  his  anxiety  to  keep  out 
of  the  way  of  the  soldiers  until  the  war  should 
be  over. 

"  The  captain  told  him  he  was  bound  for 
Philadelphia,  and  that  if  he  chose  he  could  go 
there  and  live  in  safety  to  the  end  of  the  war 
and  longer.  So  that  was  what  he  did;  he  stayed 
there  till  peace  came,  and  in  the  meantime  met 
and  married  a  countrywoman  of  his  own,  a 
lovely  and  amiable  lady,  whom  he  brought  back 
with  him  to  Florida." 

"  I  noticed  her  as  we  passed,"  said  Grandma 
Elsie;  "she  is  a  lovely-looking  woman.  But 
have  they  no  children  ?  " 

"None  now;  they  had  two — a  son  and  a 
daughter — who  lived  to  grow  up,  were  children 
to  be  proud  of,  highly  educated  by  their  father, 
and  very  fond  of  each  other  and  of  their 
parents.  The  son  used  to  act  as  guide  to  visi 
tors  boarding  here  in  the  cottages,  going  with 
them  on  fishing  expeditions  and  so  forth.  On 
one  of  those  occasions  he  was  caught  in  a 


118  ELSIE  IN  TEE  -SOUTH. 

storm  and  took  cold;  that  led  to  consumption 
and  he  finally  died.  They  buried  him  under 
the  orange  trees.  His  sister  was  so  over 
whelmed  with  grief  that  she  fretted  herself  to 
death,  and  now  lies  by  his  side." 

"  Ah,  the  poor  mother! "  sighed  Grandma 
Elsie.  "And  the  father  too/'  added  Captain 
Raymond  in  a  moved  tone. 


CHAPTER  VIIL 

LEAVING  St.  Augustine  the  Dolphin  pursued 
her  way  down  the  Florida  coast,  pausing  here 
And  there  for  a  day  or  two  at  the  most  attract 
ive  places,  continuing  on  to  the  southernmost 
part  of  the  State,  around  it,  past  Cape  Sable  and 
out  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  Then,  having  ac 
cepted  an  invitation  from  Grandma  Elsie  to 
visit  Viamede,  they  sailed  on  in  a- westerly  di 
rection. 

They  had  pleasant  weather  during  their  so 
journ  in  and  ahout  Florida,  but  as  they  entered 
the  Gulf  a  rain  storm  came  up  and  continued 
until  they  neared  the  port  of  New  Orleans. 
That  confined  the  women  and  children  pretty 
closely  to  the  cabin  and  active  little  Ned  grew 
very  weary  of  it. 

"I  wish  I  could  go  on  deck,"  he  sighed  on 
the  afternoon  of  the  second  day.  "  I'm  so  tired 
of  staying  down  here  where  there's  nothing  to 
see." 

119 


120  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

As  he  concluded  a  voice  that  sounded  like 
that  of  a  boy  about  his  own  age,  and  seemed  to 
come  from  the  stairway  to  the  deck,  said,  "  I'm 
sorry  for  that  little  chap.  Suppose  I  come 
down  there  and  try  to  get  up  a  bit  of  fun  for 
him." 

"  By  all  means,"  replied  the  captain.  "  We 
will  be  happy  to  have  you  do  so." 

Ned  straightened  himself  up  and  looked 
eagerly  in  the  direction  of  the  stairway. 

"  Who  is  it,  papa?  "  he  asked. 

"Why,  don't  you  know  me?"  asked  the 
voice,  this  time  seeming  to  come  from  the  door 
of  one  of  the  staterooms. 

"  No,  I  don't,"  returned  Ned.  "  I  didn't  know 
there  was  any  boy  on  board,  except  myself." 

"Nor  did  I,"  said  a  rough  man's  voice, 
"What  are  you  doing  here,  you  young  rascal? 
came  aboard  to  steal,  did  you?" 

"  Nothing  but  my  passage,  sir;  and  I'm  not 
doing  a  bit  of  harm,"  replied  the  boyish  voice. 

"  Oh,  I  guess  I  know  who  you  are/'  laughed 
Ned.  "At  least  I'm  pretty  sure  you're  either 
Cousin  Eonald  or  brother  Max." 

At  that  a  loud  guffaw  right  at  his  ear  made 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  121 

the  little  boy  jump  with  an  outcry,  "  Oh,  who 
was  that?  " 

"Why  don't  you  look  and  see?"  laughed 
Lucilla. 

"  Why,  it  doesn't  seem  to  have  been  any 
body,"  returned  Ned,  looking  around  this  way 
and  that.  "  But  I'm  not  going  to  be  frightened, 
for  I  just  know  it's  one  or  the  other  of  our  ven 
triloquists.  Now,  good  sirs,  please  let's  have 
some  more  of  it,  for  it's  real  fun." 

"  Not  much,  I  should  think,  after  you  are  in 
the  secret,"  said  Max. 

"It's  some,  though,"  said  Ned,  "because  it 
seems  so  real  even  when  you  do  know — or  guess 
— who  it  is  that's  doing  it." 

"  Well,  now,  I'm  glad  you  are  so  easily 
pleased  and  entertained,  little  fellow,"  said  the 
voice  from  the  state-room  door.  "  Perhaps 
now  the  captain  will  let  me  pay  my  fare  on  the 
yacht  by  providing  fun  for  his  little  son.  That 
oldest  one  doesn't  seem  to  need  any;  he  gets 
enough  talking  with  the  ladies." 

"  Oh,  do  you,  brother  Max? "  asked  Ned, 
turning  to  him. 

"  Yes,"  laughed  Max;  "  it's  very  good  fun." 


122  ELSIE  IN  TEE  SOUTH. 

"Hello!"  shouted  a  voice,  apparently  from 
the  deck,  "  Mr.  Raymond,  sir,  better  come  up 
here  and  see  that  we  don't  run  foul  of  that  big 
eteamer — or  she  of  us." 

The  captain  started  to  his  feet,  but  Max 
laughed,  and  said  in  a  mirthful  tone,  "  Never 
mind,  father,  it's  a  false  alarm,  given  for  Ned's 
amusement." 

"  Please  don't  scare  anybody  else  to  amuse 
me,  brother  Max,"  said  Ned,  with  the  air  of  one 
practising  great  self-denial. 

"I  don't  think  father  was  really  very  badly 
scared,"  laughed  Lucilla;  "and  we  may  feel 
pretty  safe  with  two  good  naval  officers  and  a 
skilful  crew  to  look  out  for  threatening  dangers 
and  help  us  to  avoid  them." 

"  That's  right,  miss;  no  occasion  for  anxiety 
or  alarm,"  said  the  man's  rough  voice  that  had 
spoken  before. 

"Thank  you;  I  don't  feel  a  particle  of 
cither,"  laughed  Lucilla. 

"  And  I  am  sure  neither  you  nor  any  of  us- 
should,  under  the  care  of  two  such  excellent 
and  skilful  seamen,"  added  Violet  in  a  sprightly- 
tone. 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  123 

*'  That's  right  and  I  reckon  you  may  feel 
pretty  safe — all  o'  you/'  said  the  man's  voice. 

"  Of  course;  who's  afraid?  "  cried  the  boyish 
voice,  close  at  Ned's  side.  "  Some  of  those  old 
Spaniards  were  drowned  in  this  gulf,  but  that 
was  because  they  knew  nothing  about  managing 
a.  vessel." 

"  Oh,  yes! "  exclaimed  Ned,  "  but  my  father 
does  know  how,  and  so  does  brother  Max." 

"  That's  a  mighty  good  thing,"  said  the 
voice,  "and  we  needn't  fear  shipwreck,  but 
can  just  devote  ourselves  to  having  a  good 
time." 

"  So  we  can,"  said  Ned.  "  And  we  do  have 
good  times  here  in  the  Dolphin.  Anybody  is 
pretty  sure  of  good  times  when  papa  is  at  the 
head  of  affairs." 

"  Quite  a  complimentary  speech  from  my 
little  son,"  laughed  the  captain. 

"  And  where  are  you  going  in  this  Dolphin  ?  " 
asked  the  voice. 

"  To  New  Orleans,  then  to  Berwick  Bay  and 
on  through  the  lakes  and  bayous  to  my  grand 
ma's  place — Viamede.  I've  been  there  before 
and  it's  just  beautiful." 


124  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

"  Then  Pd  like  to  go  too,"  said  the  voice. 
"  Won't  you  take  me  along?  " 

"  Yes,  yes,  indeed!  whether  yen  are  Cousin 
Eonald  or  brother  Max,  I  know  grandma  will 
make  you  welcome." 

At  that  everybody  laughed  and  his  grandma 
said: 

"  Yes,  indeed,  they  are  both  heartily  wel 
come." 

"  And  whichever  you  are  I'm  obliged  to  you 
for  making  this  fun  for  me,"  continued  Ned. 
"  Oh,  what  was  that! "  as  a  loud  whistle  was 
heard  seemingly  close  in  his  rear.  He  turned 
hastily  about,  then  laughed  as  he  perceived  that 
there  was  no  one  there.  "  Was  it  you  did  that, 
brother  Max?  "  he  asked. 

"  Did  it  sound  like  my  voice?  "  asked  Max. 

"As  much  as  like  any  other.  But  oh,  there's 
the  call  to  supper  and  I  suppose  the  fun  will 
have  to  stop  for  this  time." 

"Yes,  you  can  have  the  fun  of  eating  in 
stead,"  said  his  father,  leading  the  way  to  the 
table. 

In  due  time  the  next  day  they  reached  New 
Orleans,  where  they  paused  for  a  few  days  of 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  125 

reet  and  sight-seeing,  then  returning  to  their 
yacht,  they  passed  out  into  the  Gulf,  up  the  bay 
into  Teche  Bayou  and  beyond,  through  lake 
and  lakelet,  past  plain  and  forest,  plantation 
and  swamp.  The  scenery  was  beautiful;  there 
were  miles  of  smoothly  shaven  and  velvety 
green  lawns,  shaded  by  magnificent  oaks  and 
magnolias;  there  were  cool,  shady  dells  car 
peted  with  a  rich  growth  of  flowers;  lordly 
villas  peering  through  groves  of  orange  trees, 
tall  white  sugar-houses,  and  long  rows  of  cabins 
for  the  laborers.  The  scenes  were  not  entirely 
new  to  anyone  on  the  boat,  but  were  scarcely 
the  less  enjoyable  for  that — so  great  was  their 
beauty. 

When  they  reached  their  destination  and  the 
boat  rounded  to  at  the  wharf,  they  perceived  a 
welcoming  group  awaiting  their  landing — all 
the  relatives  from  Magnolia,  the  Parsonage,  and 
Torriswood.  There  was  a  joyful  exchange  of 
greetings  with  them  and  then  with  the  group  of 
servants  standing  a  little  in  the  rear. 

In  accordance  with  written  directions  sent  by 
Grandma  Elsie  some  days  in  advance  of  her  ar 
rival,  a  feaet  had  been  prepared  and  the  whole 


126  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

connection  in  that  neighborhood  invited  to 
partake  of  it.  And  not  one  older  or  younger 
had  failed  to  come,  for  she  was  too  dearly  loved 
for  an  invitation  from  her  to  be  neglected  un 
less  the  hinderance  were  such  as  could  not  be 
ignored  or  set  aside.  Dr.  Dick  Percival  and 
his  Maud  were  there  among  the  rest;  Dick's 
half  brother  Dr.  Eobert  Johnson,  and  Maud's 
sister  Sidney  also.  They  gave  a  very  joyful 
and  affectionate  greeting  to  their  brother  Ches 
ter  and  to  Lucilla  Eaymond,  then  attached 
themselves  to  her  for  the  short  walk  from  the 
wharf  up  to  the  house. 

"  Oh,  Lu,"  said  Maud,  "  we  are  so  glad  that 
we  are  to  have  you  for  our  sister.  I  don't 
know  any  other  girl  I  should  be  so  pleased  to 
have  come  into  the  family.  And  Ches  will 
make  a  good  kind  husband,  I  am  sure,  for  he 
has  always  been  a  dear  good  brother." 

"  Indeed  he  has,"  said  Sidney.  "  And  we  are 
hoping  that  he  and  Frank  will  come  and  settle 
down  here  near  us." 

"  Oh,  no,  indeed!  "  exclaimed  Lulu.  "  I 
should  like  to  live  near  you  two,  but  nothing 
would  induce  me  to  make  my  home  so  far  away 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  127 

from  my  father.  And  Chester  has  promised 
never  to  take  me  away  from  him." 

"  Oh,  I  was  hoping  you  would  want  to  come," 
said  Maud.  "But  Ches  is  one  to  keep  his 
word;  so  that  settles  it." 

But  they  had  reached  the  house  and  here  the 
talk  ended  for  the  time. 

The  new  arrivals  retired  to  their  rooms  for  a 
little  attention  to  the  duties  of  the  toilet,  then 
all  gathered  ahout  the  well-spread  board  and 
made  a  hearty  meal,  enlivened  by  cheerful  chat 
mingled  with  many  an  innocent  jest  and  not 
a  little  mirthful  laughter.  It  was  still  early 
when  the  meal  was  concluded,  and  the  next  hour 
or  two  were  spent  in  pleasant,  familiar  inter 
course  upon  the  verandas  or  in  the  beautiful 
grounds.  Then  the  guests  began  to  return  to 
their  homes,  those  with  young  children  leav 
ing  first.  The  Torriswood  family  stayed  a 
little  longer,  and  at  their  urgent  request  Chester 
consented  to  become  their  guest  for  the  first 
few  days,  if  no  longer. 

"  There  are  two  good  reasons  why  you  should 
do  so,"  said  Dick  in  a  half -jesting  tone:  "  firstly, 
I  having  married  your  sister,  by  that  we  are  the 


128  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

most  nearly  related;  and  secondly,  as  Bob  and 
I  are  both  physicians,  we  may  be  better  able  to 
take  proper  care  of  you  than  these  good  and 
kind  relatives/' 

"  Dick,  Dick,"  remonstrated  Violet,  "  how 
you  forget!  or  is  it  professional  jealousy?  Have 
we  not  been  careful  to  bring  along  with  us  one 
of  the  very  physicians  who  have  had  charge  of 
Chester's  case?" 

"  Why,  sure  enough! "  exclaimed  Dick. 
"  Harold,  old  fellow,  I  beg  your  pardon!  and  to 
make  amends,  should  I  get  sick  I  shall  certainly 
have  you  called  in  at  once." 

"Which  will  quite  make  amends,"  returned 
Harold,  laughing;  "  as  it  will  give  me  a  good 
opportunity  to  punish  your  impertinence  in  ig 
noring  my  claims  as  one  of  the  family  physi 
cians." 

"Ah!"  returned  Dick,  "I  perceive  that  my 
wiser  plan  will  be  to  keep  well." 

There  was  a  general  laugh,  a  moment's  pause, 
then  Robert,  sending  a  smiling  glance  in  Sid 
ney's  direction,  said,  "Now,  dear  friends  and 
relatives,  Sid  and  I  have  a  communication  to 
make.  We  have  decided  to  follow  the  good  ex- 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  129 

ample  set  us  by  our  brother  and  sister — Maud 
and  Dick — and  so  we  expect  in  two  or  three 
weeks  to  take  each  other  for  better  or  for 
worse." 

The  announcement  caused  a  little  surprise  to 
most  of  those  present,  but  everyone  seemed 
pleased;  thinking  it  a  suitable  match  in  every 
way. 

"  I  think  you  have  chosen  wisely — both  of 
you,"  said  Grandma  Elsie,  "and  I  hope  there 
are  many  years  of  happiness  in  store  for  you; 
happiness  and  usefulness.  And,  Chester," 
turning  to  him,  "remember  that  these  doors 
are  wide  open  to  you  at  all  times.  Come  back 
when  you  will  and  stay  as  long  as  you  will." 

"  Thank  you,  cousin;  you  are  most  kindly 
hospitable,"  Chester  said  with  a  gratified  look 
and  smile.  "  The  two  places  are  so  near  to 
gether  that  I  can  readily  divide  my  time  be 
tween  them;  which — both  being  so  attractive — 
is  certainly  very  fortunate  for  me." 

"  And  for  all  of  us,"  said  Violet;  "  as  we  shall 
be  able  to  see  more  of  each  other  than  we  could 
if  farther  apart." 

"  Yes;  I  shall  hope  and  expect  to  see  you  all 


130  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

•coming  in  every  day,"  added  her  mother  with 
hospitable  cordiality. 

"  Thank  you,  Cousin  Elsie,"  said  Maud, 
"  but,  though  it  is  delightful  to  come  here,  we 
must  not  let  it  be  altogether  a  one-sided  affair. 
Please  remember  to  return  our  visits  whenever 
you  find  it  convenient  and  pleasant  to  do  so." 

With  that  they  took  leave  and  departed,  and  a 
little  later  those  constituting  the  family  for  the 
time  bade  each  other  good-night,  and  most  of 
them  retired  to  their  sleeping  apartments. 

Not  quite  all  of  them,  however.  Max,  Eve 
lyn,  and  Lucilla  stepped  out  upon  the  veranda 
again,  Max  remarking,  "  The  grounds  are  look 
ing  bewitchingly  beautiful  in  the  moonlight; 
suppose  we  take  a  little  stroll  down  to  the 
bayou." 

"  You  two  go  if  you  like,  but  I  want  to  have 
a  word  or  two  with  papa,"  said  Lucilla,  glanc 
ing  toward  her  father,  who  was  standing  quietly 
and  alone  at  some  little  distance,  seemingly  ab 
sorbed  in  gazing  upon  the  beauties  of  the  land 
scape. 

"Well,  we  will  not  be  gone  long,"  said 
Evelyn,  as  she  and  Max  descended  the  steps 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  131 

while  Lucilla  glided  softly  in  her  father's  di 
rection. 

He  did  not  seem  aware  of  her  approach  until 
she  was  close  at  his  side,  and  laying  a  hand  on 
his  arm,  said  in  her  low,  sweet  tones: 

"  I  have  come  for  my  dear  father's  good 
night  caresses,  and  to  hear  anything  he  may 
have  to  say  to  his  eldest  daughter." 

"  Ah,  that  is  right,"  he  said,  turning  and  put 
ting  an  arm  about  her  and  drawing  her  into  a 
close  embrace.  "  I  hope  all  goes  well  with  you, 
dear  child.  If  not,  your  father  is  the  very  one 
to  bring  your  troubles  to." 

"  Thank  you,  dear  papa,"  she  said;  "  if  I  had 
any  troubles  I  should  certainly  bring  them  to 
you;  but  I  have  not.  Oh,  I  do  think  I  am  the 
happiest  girl  in  the  land!  with  your  dear  love 
and  Chester's  too.  And  Max  with  us  again; 
and  all  of  us  well  and  in  this  lovely,  lovely 
place! " 

"  Yes,  we  have  a  great  deal  to  be  thankful 
for,"  he  returned.  "  But  you  will  miss  Ches 
ter,  now  that  he  has  left  here  for  Torriswood." 

"  Oh,  not  very  much,"  she  said  with  a  happy 
little  laugh;  "  for  he  has  assured  me  that  he  will 


132  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

be  here  at  least  a  part  of  every  day;  the  ride  or 
walk  from  Torriswood  being  not  too  long  to  be 
taken  with  pleasure  and  profit." 

"  And  doubtless  some  of  the  time  you  will  be 
there.  By  the  way,  you  should  give  Sidney 
something  handsome  as  a  wedding  present. 
You  may  consider  what  would  be  suitable  and 
likely  to  please,  consult  with  the  other  ladies, 
and  let  your  father  know  what  the  decision  is — 
that  he  may  get  the  article,  or  supply  the 
means." 

"  Thank  you  ever  so  much,  father  dear,"  she 
replied  in  grateful  tones,  "  but  you  have  given 
me  such  a  generous  supply  of  pocket  money 
that  I  don't  think  I  shall  need  to  call  upon  you 
for  help  about  this.  But  I  shall  ask  your  ad 
vice  about  what  the  gift  shall  be  and  be  sure 
not  to  buy  anything  of  which  you  do  not 
approve." 

"  Spoken  like  my  own  dear,  loving  daugh 
ter,"  he  said  approvingly,  and  with  a  slight 
caress.  "  By  the  way,  did  Robert  Johnson's  bit 
of  news  make  my  daughter  and  her  lover  a  trifle 
jealous  that  their  engagement  must  be  so  long 
a  one?" 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  133 

"  Not  me,  papa;  I  am  entirely  willing — yes, 
very  glad — to  be  subject  to  your  orders;  very 
loath  to  leave  the  dear  home  with  you  and  pass 
from  under  your  care  and  protection.  Oh,  I 
sometimes  feel  as  if  I  could  never  do  it.  But 
then  I  say  to  myself,  '  But  I  shall  always  be  my 
dear  father's  child  and  we  need  not — we  will 
not  love  each  other  the  less  because  another 
claims  a  share  of  my  affection.'  Is  that  not  so, 
papa?" 

"  Yes,  daughter;  and  I  do  not  believe  any 
thing  can  ever  make  either  one  of  us  love  the 
other  less.  But  it  is  growing  late  and  about 
time  for  my  eldest  daughter  to  be  seeking  her 
nest,  if  she  wants  to  be  up  with  the  birds  in  the 
morning  and  ready  to  share  a  stroll  with  her 
father  through  these  beautiful  grounds  before 
breakfast." 

"Yes,  sir;  but,  if  you  are  willing,!  should  like 
to  wait  for  Evelyn.  She  and  Max  will  be  in 
presently,  I  think.  Papa,  I  do  think  they  have 
begun  to  be  lovers,  and  I  am  glad;  for  I  should 
dearly  love  to  have  Eva  for  a  sister." 

"  And  I  should  not  object  to  having  her  for 
a  daughter,"  returned  the  captain,  with  a 


134  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

pleased  little  laugh.  "  And  you  are  not  mis 
taken,  so  far  as  Max  is  concerned.  He  asked 
me  to-day  if  I  were  willing  that  he  should  try 
to  win  the  dear  girl,  and  I  told  him  most  de 
cidedly  so;  that  I  heartily  wished  him  success 
in  his  wooing.  Though,  as  in  your  case,  I 
think  marriage  would  better  be  deferred  for  a 
year  or  two." 

"  Yes,  Max  would  be  quite  as  much  too  young 
for  a  bridegroom  as  I  for  a  bride,"  she  said  with 
a  slight  and  amused  laugh;  "and  I  don't  be 
lieve  he  would  disregard  his  father's  advice. 
All  your  children  love  you  dearly  and  have 
great  confidence  in  your  opinion  on  every  sub 
ject,  father  dear." 

"  As  I  have  in  their  love  and  willingness  to 
be  guided  by  me,"  the  captain  responded  in  a 
tone  of  gratification.  "You  may  wait  for 
Evelyn.  I  think  she  and  Max  will  be  in  pres 
ently.  Ah,  yes;  see  they  are  turning  this  way 
now." 

Max  had  given  his  arm  to  Evelyn  as  they  left 
the  house,  and  crossing  the  lawn  together 
they  strolled  slowly  along  the  bank  of  the 
bayou. 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  135 

"  Oh,  such  a  beautiful  night  as  it  is! "  ex 
claimed  Evelyn,  "and  the  air  is  so  soft  and 
balmy  one  can  hardly  realize  that  in  our  more 
northern  homes  cold  February  reigns." 

"  No,"  said  Max,  "  and  I  am  glad  we  are  es 
caping  the  blustering  March  winds  that  will 
soon  be  visiting  that  section.  Still,  for  the  year 
round  I  prefer  that  climate  to  this." 

"  Yes;  but  it  is  very  pleasant  to  be  able  to  go 
from  one  section  to  another  as  the  seasons 
change,"  said  Eva.  "  I  think  we  are  very  for 
tunate  people  in  being  able  to  do  it." 

"Yes,"  returned  Max,  "but  after  all  one's 
happiness  depends  far  more  upon  being  in  con 
genial  society  and  with  loved  ones  than  upon 
climate,  scenery — or  anything  else.  Eva,"  and 
he  turned  to  her  as  with  sudden  determination, 
"  I — I  think  I  can  never  again  be  happy  away 
from  you.  I  love  you  and  want  you  for  my 
own.  You  have  said  you  would  like  to  be  my 
father's  daughter,  and  I  can  make  you  that  if 
you  will  only  let  me.  Say,  dearest,  oh,  say  that 
you  will  let  me — that  you  will  be  mine — my 
own  dear  little  wife." 

"  Max,  oh,  Max,"  she  answered  in  low,  trem- 


136  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

bling  tones,  "I — I  am  afraid  you  don't  know 
me  quite  as  I  am — that  you  would  be  disap 
pointed — would  repent  of  having  said  what  you 
have." 

"Never,  never!  if  you  will  only  say  yee;  if 
you  will  only  promise  to  be  mine — my  own  love, 
my  own  dear  little  wife."  And  putting  an  arm 
about  her  he  drew  her  close,  pressing  an  ardent 
kiss  upon  her  lips. 

She  did  not  repulse  him,  and  continuing  his 
endearments  and  entreaties  he  at  length  drew 
from  her  an  acknowledgment  that  she  returned 
his  love. 

Then  presently  they  turned  their  steps  to 
ward  the  mansion,  as  happy  a  pair  as  could  be 
found  in  the  whole  length  and  breadth  of  the 
land. 

Captain  Raymond  and  Lucilla  were  waiting 
for  them,  and  Max,  leading  Evelyn  to  his  father, 
said  in  joyous  tones,  "  I  have  won  a  new  daugh 
ter  for  you,  father,  and  a  dear  sweet  wife  for 
myself.  At  least  she  has  promised  to  be  both 
to  us  one  of  these  days." 

"Ah,  I  am  well  pleased,"  the  captain  said, 
taking  Eva's  hand  in  his,  and  bending  down  to 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH,  137 

give  her  a  fatherly  caress.  "I  have  always  felt 
that  I  should  like  to  take  her  into  my  family 
and  do  a  father's  part  by  her." 

"  Oh,  captain,  you  are  very,  very  kind,"  re 
turned  Eva,  low  and  feelingly;  "  there  is  nobody 
in  the  wide  world  whose  daughter  I  should  pre 
fer  to  be." 

"  And  oh,  Eva,  I  shall  be  so  glad  to  have  you 
really  my  sister!  "  exclaimed  Lucilla,  giving  her 
friend  a  warm  embrace.  "  Max,  you  dear  fel 
low,  Fm  ever  so  glad  and  so  much  obliged  to 
you." 

"  You  needn't  to  be,  sis.  Eva  is  the  one  de 
serving  of  thanks  for  accepting  one  so  little 
worthy  of  her  as  this  sailor  brother  of  yours," 
returned  Max,  with  a  happy  laugh. 

"  Yes,  we  will  give  her  all  the  credit,"  said 
the  captain;  "  and  hope  that  you,  my  son,  will 
do  your  best  to  prove  yourself  worthy  of  the 
prize  you  have  won.  And  now,  my  dears,  it  is 
high  time  we  were  all  retiring  to  rest;  in  order 
that  we  may  have  strength  and  spirits  for  the 
duties  and  pleasures  of  to-morrow." 

Evelyn  and  Lucilla  were  sharing  a  room  com 
municating  directly  with  the  one  occupied  by 


138  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

Grace  and  little  Elsie,  and  that  opened  into  the 
one  where  the  captain  and  Violet  slept. 

In  compliance  with  the  captain's  advice  the 
young  girls  at  once  retired  to  their  room  to  seek 
their  couches  for  the  night;  but  first  they  in 
dulged  in  a  bit  of  loving  chat. 

"  Oh,  Eva,"  Lucilla  exclaimed,  holding  her 
friend  in  a  loving  embrace,  "  I  am  so  glad,  so 
very,  very  glad  that  we  are  to  be  sisters.  And 
Max  I  am  sure  will  make  you  a  good,  kind  hus 
band.  He  has  always  been  the  best  and  dearest 
of  brothers  to  me — as  well  as  to  Grace  and  the 
little  ones." 

"Yes,  I  know  it,"  said  Evelyn  softly.  "I 
know  too  that  your  father  has  always  been  the 
best  and  kindest  of  husbands  and  that  Max  is 
very  much  like  him." 

"  And  you  love  Max?  " 

"  How  could  I  help  it?  "  asked  Evelyn,  blush 
ing  as  she  spoke.  "  I  thought  it  was  as  a  dear 
brother  I  cared  for  him,  till — till  he  asked  me 
to — to  be  his  wife;  but  then  I  knew  better. 
Oh,  it  was  so  sweet  to  learn  that  he  loved  me 
so!  and  I  am  so  happy!  I  am  not  the  lonely 
girl  I  was  this  morning — fatherless  and  mother- 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  139 

less  and  without  brother  or  sister.  Oh,  I  have 
them  all  now — except  the  mother,"  she  added 
with  a  slight  laugh — "  for  of  course  your 
Mamma  Vi  is  much  too  young  to  be  that  to 
me." 

"Yes;  as  she  is  to  be  a  mother  to  Max, 
Grade,  and  me.  But  with  such  a  father  as 
ours  one  could  do  pretty  well  without  a  mother. 
Don't  you  think  so?" 

"  Yes;  he  seems  to  be  father  and  mother  both 
to  those  of  his  children  who  have  lost  their 
mother." 

"  He  is  indeed.  But  now  I  must  obey  his 
last  order  by  getting  to  bed  as  quickly  as  I  can." 

"I,  too,"  laughed  Evelyn;  "it  seems  really 
delightful  to  have  a  father  to  obey."  She 
ended  with  a  slight  sigh,  thinking  of  the  dear 
father  who  had  been  so  long  in  the  better  land. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

LUCILLA  woke  at  her  usual  early  hour,  rose 
at  once,  and  moving  so  quietly  about  as  not  to 
disturb  Evelyn's  slumbers,  attended  to  all  the 
duties  of  the  time,  then  went  softly  from  the 
room  and  down  to  the  front  veranda,  where  she 
found  her  father  pacing  slowly  to  and  fro. 

"  Ah,  daughter,"  he  said,  holding  out  his 
hand  with  a  welcoming  smile,  "  good-morning. 
I  am  glad  to  see  you  looking  bright  and  well;" 
and  drawing  her  into  his  arms  he  gave  her  the 
usual  welcoming  caress. 

"  As  I  feel,  papa,"  she  returned,  "  and  I  hope 
you  too  are  quite  well." 

"  Yes;  entirely  so.  It  is  a  lovely  morning 
and  I  think  we  will  find  a  stroll  along  the  bank 
of  the  bayou  very  enjoyable.  However,  I  want 
you  to  eat  a  bit  of  something  first;  and  here  is 
Aunt  Phillis  with  oranges  prepared  in  the  usual 
way  for  an  early  morning  lunch,"  he  added  as 
an  elderly  negress  etepped  from  the  doorway 

140 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  141 

bearing  a  small  silver  waiter  on  which  was  a 
dish  of  oranges  ready  for  eating. 

"  Yes,  Massa  Captain,  and  I  hopes  you,  sab, 
and  Miss  Lu  kin  eat  what's  heah;  dere's  plenty 
moah  for  de  res'  ob  de  folks  when  dey  gets  out 
o'  dere  beds." 

"  Yes,"  said  the  captain,  helping  Lucilla  and 
himself,  "  there  is  always  a  great  abundance  of 
good  cheer  where  your  Miss  Elsie  is  at  the  head 
of  affairs." 

"  Father,"  Lucilla  said  as  they  set  off  across 
the  lawn,  "  I  am  so  pleased  that  Max  and  Eva 
are  engaged.  I  should  prefer  her  for  a  sister- 
in-law  to  anyone  else;  for  I  have  always  loved 
her  dearly  since  we  first  met." 

"  Yes;  I  can  say  the  same;  she  is  a  dear  girl, 
and  Max  could  have  done  nothing  to  please  me 
better,"  was  the  captain's  answering  remark. 

"And  she  loves  you,  father,"  returned  Lu 
cilla,  smiling  up  into  his  eyes;  "  which  of  course 
seems  very  strange  to  me." 

"Ah?  although  I  know  you  to  be  guilty  of 
the  very  same  thing  yourself,"  he  returned  with 
an  assured  smile  and  pressing  affectionately 
the  hand  he  held  in  his. 


142  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

"  Ah,  but  having  been  born  your  child,  how 
can  I  help  it?"  she  asked  with  a  happy  little 
laugh.  Then  went  on,  "  Father,  I've  been 
thinking  how  it  would  do  for  you  to  make  that 
houae  you  have  been  talking  of  building  near 
your  own,  big  enough  for  two  families — Max's 
and  Eva's,  Chester's  and  mine." 

"  Perhaps  it  might  do,"  he  answered  pleas 
antly,  "but  it  is  hardly  necessary  to  consider 
the  question  yet." 

"  No,  sir,"  she  returned.  "  Oh,  I  am  glad  I 
do  not  have  to  leave  my  sweet  home  in  my 
father's  house  for  months  or  maybe  years  yet. 
I  do  so  love  to  be  with  you  that  I  don't  know 
how  I  can  ever  feel  willing  to  leave  you;  even 
for  Chester,  whom  I  do  really  love  very 
dearly." 

"And  I  shall  find  it  very  hard  to  have  you 
leave  me,"  he  said.  "  But  we  expect  to  be  near 
enough  to  see  almost  as  much  of  each  other  as 
we  do  now." 

"Yes,  papa,  that's  the  pleasant  part  of  it," 
she  said  with  a  joyous  look;  then  went  on, 
"  Chester  has  been  talking  to  me  about  plans 
for  the  house,  but  I  tell  him  that,  as  you  said 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  143 

just  now,  it  is  hardly  time  to  think  about  them 

yet." 

"  There  would  be  no  harm  in  doing  eo, 
however,"  her  father  said;  "no  harm  in  decid 
ing  just  what  you  want  before  work  on  it  is  be 
gun.  I  should  like  to  make  it  an  ideal  home 
for  my  dear  eldest  daughter." 

"  Thank  you,  father  dear,"  she  said.  "  I  do 
think  you  are  just  the  kindest  father  ever  any 
one  had." 

"  I  have  no  objection  to  your  thinking  so/' 
he  returned  with  a  pleased  smile;  then  went  on 
to  speak  of  some  plans  for  the  building  that 
had  occurred  to  him.  "  We  will  examine  the 
plans,"  he  said,  "  and  try  to  think  in  what  re 
spect  each  might  be  improved.  I  intend  my 
daughter's  home  to  be  as  convenient,  cosey,  and 
comfortable  as  possible;  and  you  must  not  hesi 
tate  to  suggest  any  improvement  that  may  occur 
to  you." 

"  Thank  you,  papa;  how  good  and  kind  you 
are  to  me!  Oh,  I  wish  I  had  been  a  better 
daughter  to  you — never  wilful  or  disobedient.'* 

"  Dear  child,  you  are  a  great  comfort  to  me 
and  have  been  for  years  past,"  he  said;  then 


144  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

•went  on  speaking  of  the  plans  that  he  had  been 
considering. 

In  the  meantime  they  had  walked  some  dis 
tance  along  the  bank  of  the  bayou,  and  glanc 
ing  at  his  watch  the  captain  said  it  was  time  to 
return,  as  it  was  not  far  from  the  breakfast  hour, 
and  probably  they  would  find  most,  if  not  all 
of  the  others  ready  for  and  awaiting  the  sum 
mons  to  the  table. 

Lucilla  had  scarcely  left  her  sleeping  apart 
ment  when  Eva  awoke,  and  seeing  that  the  sun 
was  shining,  arose  and  made  a  rapid  toilet;  care 
ful,  though — thinking  of  Max  and  his  interest 
in  her — that  it  should  be  neat  and  becoming. 

She  descended  the  stairs  just  as  the  captain 
and  Lucilla  were  approaching  the  house  on 
their  return  from  their  walk;  and  Max  was  wait 
ing  on  the  veranda  while  most  of  the  other 
guests  had  gathered  in  the  nearest  parlor.  Eva 
stepped  out  upon  the  veranda  and  Max  came 
swiftly  to  meet  her. 

"  My  darling!  "  he  said,  low  and  tenderly, 
putting  his  arm  about  her  and  giving  her  an 
ardent  kiss,  "  my  own  promised  one.  You  are 
lovelier  than  ever.  A  treasure  far  beyond  my 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  145 

deserts.  But  as  you  have  given  your  dear  self 
to  me  you  are  mine;  and  let  this  seal  our  com 
pact,"  slipping  upon  her  finger,  as  he  spoke,  a 
ring  set  with  a  very  large  and  brilliant  diamond. 

"  Oh,  how  lovely! "  she  exclaimed,  looking 
at  it  and  then  lifting  to  his  face  eyes  filled  with 
love  and  joy.  "  It  is  very  beautiful,  dear  Max, 
valuable  for  that  reason,  but  still  more  for  being 
the  emblem  of  your  dear  love — love  that  makes 
me  the  happiest  girl  in  the  land." 

"  As  yours  makes  me  the  happiest  man.  Ah, 
Eva  dear,  I  am  not  worthy  of  you." 

"  Ah,"  she  laughed,  "  I  shall  take  your  opin 
ion  on  most  subjects,  but  not  on  that.  Here 
comes  your  father  and  Lu." 

"  Good-morning,"  they  said,  coming  up  the 
steps,  the  captain  adding  in  jesting  tones,  "  Ah,. 
Max,  my  son,  you  seem  to  be  making  an  early 
return  to  the  business  begun  yesterday." 

"  And  something  more,  captain,"  Era  said, 
displaying  his  gift.  "  Is  it  not  lovely?  " 

"  Oh,  beautiful!  "  exclaimed  Lucilla. 

"  As  handsome  a  diamond  as  ever  I  saw,"  re 
marked  the  captain,  examining  it  critically; 
"  but  none  too  handsome  or  expensive  for  a 


146  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

gift  to  my  new  daughter  that  is  to  be,"  he 
added  with  a  smile,  and  imprinting  a  kiss  upoa 
the  small  white  hand  which  wore  the  ring. 
"  Shall  we  join  the  others  in  the  parlor  now  ? 
and  will  you  let  Max  tell  them  of  his  good  for 
tune?  You  will  neither  of  you,  surely,  wish 
to  keep  it  a  secret  from  friends  so  near  and 
dear." 

"  I  do  not,"  said  Max;  "  but  it  shall  be  just 
as  you  decide,  Eva  dear,"  he  added  in  low  and 
tender  tones,  drawing  her  hand  within  his  arm 
as  he  spoke. 

"I  think  your — our  father's  opinions  are 
always  right,  Max,"  she  said  with  a  smile  and  a 
blush. 

"Will  you  go  in  first,  father?  you  and  Lu — 
and  we  will  follow,"  said  Max,  and  the  captain 
at  once,  taking  Lucilla's  hand  in  his,  led  the 
way. 

"  Good-morning  to  you  all,  friends  and  rela 
tives,"  was  his  cheerful-toned  and  smiling  ad 
dress  as  he  entered  the  room,  "  I  hope  you  are 
all  well  and  in  good  spirits." 

Then,  stepping  aside,  he  allowed  Max  to  pass 
him  with  the  blushing  Evelyn  on  his  arm. 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  147 

He  led  her  up  to  Mrs.  Travilla,  saying, 
"  Good-morning,  Grandma  Elsie.  I  want  to 
introduce  to  you  my  future  wife.  For  this  dear 
girl  has,  to  my  great  joy,  promised  to  become 
that  one  of  these  days." 

"Ah!  is  that  so,  Max?  I  know  of  nothing 
that  could  please  me  better,"  exclaimed  that 
dear  lady,  rising  to  her  feet  and  bestowing  a 
warm  embrace  upon  the  blushing,  happy-faced 
Evelyn. 

Violet  was  beside  them  in  an  instant,  ex 
claiming  in  joyous  tones,  "  Oh,  Eva  and  Max! 
how  glad  I  am!  for  I  am  sure  you  were  made 
for  each  other,  and  will  be  very  happy  to 
gether." 

"  And  are  you  willing  now  to  let  me  be  the 
captain's  daughter?  "  asked  Eva,  with  a  charm 
ing  blush,  accompanied  by  a  slightly  roguish 
laugh. 

"  Yes;  seeing  that  Max  calls  me  Mamma  Vir 
and  you  are  really  younger  than  he,"  was  Vio 
let's  laughing  reply. 

But  Grace,  little  Elsie,  and  the  others  were 
crowding  around  with  expressions  of  surprise 
and  pleasure  and  many  congratulations  and 


148  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

good  wishes.     For  everybody  who  knew  them 
loved  both  Max  and  Eva. 

But  now  came  the  call  to  breakfast  and  they 
repaired  to  the  dining  room  and  gathered  about 
the  table,  as  cheerful  and  gay  a  party  as  could 
be  found  in  the  whole  length  and  breadth  of  the 
land. 

"  You  seem  likely  to  have  a  rapid  increase  in 
your  family,  captain,"  said  Dr.  Harold  Tra- 
villa,  with  a  smiling  glance  directed  toward  Lu- 
<;illa,  Max,  and  Eva,  seated  near  together. 

"  Some  time  hence,"  returned  the  captain 
pleasantly.  "I  consider  them  all  young 
enough  to  wait  a  little,  and  they  are  dutifully 
willing  to  do  as  I  desire." 

"  As  they  certainly  should  be,  considering 
what  a  good  and  kind  father  you  are,  sir,  and 
how  young  they  are." 

"And  how  pleasant  are  the  days  of  court 
ship,"  added  Mr.  Lilburn;  "as  no  doubt  they 
will  prove  with  them." 

"  And  how  wise  as  well  as  kind  our  father  is," 
said  Max,  giving  the  captain  an  ardently  appre 
ciative  look  and  smile;  "  how  patiently  and  ear 
nestly  he  has  striven  to  bring  his  children  up 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  149 

for  usefulness  and  happiness  in  this  world  and 
the  next." 

"  That  is  true/'  said  Violet.  "  I  think  no 
one  ever  had  a  better  father  than  yours,  Max." 

"  And  certainly  no  one  had  a  more  apprecia 
tive  wife  or  children  than  I,"  remarked  Cap 
tain  Baymond,  with  a  smile.  "  We  seem  to 
have  formed  a  mutual  admiration  society  this 
morning." 

"  Surely  the  very  best  kind  of  society  for 
families  to  form  among  themselves,"  laughed 
Herbert. 

"And  I  like  the  way  our  young  people  are 
pairing  off,"  remarked  Mr.  Dinsmore;  "  the 
matches  arranged  for  among  them  seem  to  be 
very  suitable.  By  the  way,  Elsie,  we  must  be 
planning  for  some  wedding  gifts  for  Bob  and 
Sidney." 

"Yes,  sir,"  replied  Mrs.  Travilla,  "I  have 
been  thinking  of  that,  but  have  not  decided 
upon  any  particular  article  yet.  I  suppose  our 
better  plan  will  be  to  buy  in  New  Orleans." 

"  Yes,  I  think  so.  And  it  will  be  well  for  us 
to  have  a  consultation  on  the  subject,  ia  order 
to  avoid  giving  duplicates." 


350  ELSIE  IN  TEE  SOUTH. 

"A  very  good  idea,  grandpa,"  said  Violet, 
"  and  as  there  are  so  many  of  us — counting  the 
Magnolia  and  Parsonage  people,  as  well  as  those 
of  Torriswood — might  it  not  be  well  to  have 
that  consultation  seon,  to  determine  what  each 
will  give,  and  then  set  about  securing  the 
articles  in  good  season  for  the  wedding,  which 
will  probably  take  place  in  about  three  weeks?  " 

There  was  a  general  approval  of  that  idea  and 
it  was  decided  to  take  prompt  measures  for 
carrying  it  out. 

The  meal  concluded,  all  gathered  in  the 
family  parlor  and  held  the  usual  morning  serv 
ice  of  prayer,  praise,  and  reading  of  the  Scrip* 
tures.  That  over,  they  gathered  upon  the  front 
veranda  and  were  again  engaged  in  discussing 
the  subject  of  wedding  gifts,  when  Dr.  Perci- 
val  drove  up  with  his  wife  and  her  brother. 
They  were  most  cordially  greeted  and  invited 
to  give  their  views  in  regard  to  the  subject 
which  was  engaging  the  thoughts  of  the  others 
at  the  moment. 

"  I  think  it  would  be  wise  for  us  all  to  agree 
as  to  what  each  one  shall  give,  so  that  there  will 
be  no  duplicates,"  said  Maud. 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  151 

"Yes,"  said  Violet,  "that  is  the  conclusion 
we  have  all  come  to." 

"  Very  good,"  said  Maud.  "  And  Sidney 
wanted  me  to  consult  with  you  older  ladies  ia 
regard  to  the  material  of  her  wedding  dress — 
whether  it  should  be  silk  or  satin;  and  about  the 
veil.  They  are  to  be  married  in  the  morning, 
out  under  the  orange  trees." 

"  Oh,  that  will  be  lovely,"  said  Violet. 

"  Yes;  I  think  so;  and  it  will  allow  plenty  of 
room,"  continued  Maud;  "  and  we  need  plenty 
because  our  two  doctors  want  to  invite  so  many 
of  their  patients  lest  somebody  should  feel  hurt 
by  being  left  out.  Our  idea  is  to  have  the  cere 
mony  about  noon  and  the  wedding  breakfast 
on  the  lawn  immediately  after  it." 

"  I  like  that,"  said  Violet.  "  As  to  the  wed 
ding-dress  question — suppose  we  send  to  New 
Orleans  for  samples,  let  Sidney  choose  from 
them  and  order  the  quantity  she  wants?  " 

"  That  strikes  me  as  a  very  good  idea,"  said 
Chester;  "  and  I  want  it  distinctly  understood 
that  I  pay  for  this  wedding  dress.  I  had  no 
opportunity  to  do  a  brother's  part  by  Maud  at 
the  time  of  her  marriage,  but  I  insist  that  I  shall 


152  ELSIE  IN  TEE  SOUTH. 

be  allowed  to  do  so  by  this  only  remaining 
Bister." 

"Yes,  Chester,  you  and  I  will  both  insist 
upon  being  allowed  our  rights  this  time,"1 
laughed  Dick;  "  especially  as  there  will  be  no 
single  sister  left  to  either  of  us." 

"  And  between  you,  and  with  the  other  rela 
tives  to  help,  Sidney  will  fare  well,  I  hope  and 
believe,"  remarked  Mr.  Dinsmore  with  a  smile. 

"  Chester,"  said  Lucilla  in  a  low  aside,  "  I 
want  your  help  in  choosing  my  gift  for  your 
sister.  I  have  the  greatest  confidence  in  your 
judgment  and  taste." 

"  Thank  you,  dearest,"  he  returned  with  a 
pleased  smile.  "  I  shall  be  very  glad  to  give 
my  opinion  for  what  it  is  worth." 

"  I  presume  you  have  sent  or  will  promptly 
send  word  to  Frank  that  his  sister  is  about  to 
marry?  "  Mr.  Dinsmore  remarked  in  a  tone  be 
tween  assertion  and  inquiry. 

"We  have  written,"  replied  Dick,  "but  are 
not  at  all  certain  that  the  letter  will  reach  him 
in  time,  as  he  may  have  left  Florida  before  it 
could  be  received." 

"  I  do  not  quite  despair  of  getting  him  here 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  153 

in  season/'  remarked  Chester.  "1  think  we 
will  hear  of  his  whereabouts  in  time  to  send 
him  a  telegram." 

Just  at  that  moment  the  Magnolia  carriage 
was  seen  coming  up  the  driveway  with  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Embury  in  it. 

They  had  come  to  consult  with  the  Viamede 
relatives  and  friends  in  regard  to  preparations 
for  the  approaching  wedding  and  suitable  and 
desirable  gifts  for  the  bride;  for  Mrs.  Embury, 
being  own  sister  to  Dr.  Percival  and  half-sister 
to  Dr.  Robert  Johnson,  felt  particularly  inter 
ested  and  desirous  to  do  her  full  share  in  help 
ing  the  young  couple  with  their  preparations 
for  making  a  home  for  themselves. 

"Do  they  intend  to  go  to  housekeeping?" 
she  asked  of  Maud. 

"It  is  hardly  decided  yet,"  replied  Maud. 
"We  are  trying  to  persuade  them  that  it  will 
be  best  for  us  all  to  continue  to  be  one  family. 
I  think  that  will  be  the  way  for  a  time  at  least; 
and  when  we  tire  of  that  we  can  easily  occupy 
the  house  as  two  families.  It  is  large  enough 
and  so  planned  that  it  can  readily  be  used  in 
that  way." 


154  ELSIE  IN  TEE  SOUTH. 

"  A  very  good  thing,"  remarked  Mr.  Embury. 
"  I  think  you  will  be  the  more  likely  to  agree 
if  you  do  not  feel  that  you  are  shut  up  to  the 
necessity  of  remaining  one  family." 

"  You  have  hardly  sent  out  your  invitations 
yet?"  Molly  said  half  inquiringly. 

"  Only  to  the  more  distant  relatives,"  replied 
Maud.  "  Of  course  we  cannot  expect  that  they 
will  all  come,  but  we  did  not  want  to  neglect 
any  of  them." 

"  We  must  arrange  to  accommodate  them  if 
they  should  come,"  said  Molly,  "  and  I  hope 
most  of  them  will.  Now  about  making  pur 
chases — of  wedding  gifts,  wedding  finery,  and 
so  forth.  New  Orleans  will  of  course  be  our 
best  place  for  shopping  if  we  want  to  see  the 
goods  before  buying.  Does  anybody  feel  in 
clined  to  go  there  and  attend  to  the  matter?  " 

There  was  silence  for  a  moment.  Then 
Captain  Eaymond  said,  "  The  Dolphin  and  I 
are  at  the  service  of  any  one — or  any  number — 
who  would  like  to  go." 

Both  Maud  and  Molly  thought  themselves 
too  busy  with  home  preparations,  and  after 
some  discussion  it  was  finally  decided  that  Mrs. 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  155 

Travilla,  Violet,  and  the  captain,  Eva  and  Max, 
Lulu  and  Chester,  Grace  and  Harold  should 
form  the  deputation  and  that  they  would  go 
the  next  Monday  morning — this  being  Satur 
day.  That  matter  settled,  the  Emburys  and 
Percivals  took  their  departure. 

Then  a  thought  seemed  to  strike  Grandma 
Elsie.  "Annis,"  she  said,  turning  to  her 
cousin,  "cannot  you  and  Cousin  Eonald  go 
with  us?  I  wish  you  would." 

"  Why,  yes;  if  you  want  us  I  think  we  can," 
laughed  Annis,  turning  an  inquiring  look  upon 
her  husband. 

"If  you  wish  it,  my  dear,"  he  answered 
pleasantly.  "I  always  enjoy  being  with  the 
cousins."  And  so  it  was  decided  they  would 
be  of  the  party. 


CHAPTEE  X. 

"Now,  my  daughters,  Lucilla  and  Grace,  if 
you  have  any  preparations  to  make  for  your  trip 
to  New  Orleans,  my  advice  is  that  you  attend  to 
them  at  once/'  Captain  Raymond  said  when 
their  callers  had  gone. 

"Yes,  sir,"  they  both  returned,  making 
prompt  movement  to  obey;  Lucilla  adding, 
"  though  I  am  sure  we  have  but  little  to  do." 

"And  what  are  your  directions  to  me,  Cap 
tain  Raymond  ?  or  am  I  to  be  left  entirely  to  my 
own  devices?  "  laughed  Violet. 

"  I  think  my  wife  is  wise  enough  to  be  safely 
so  left,"  he  replied  in  his  usual  pleasant  tones, 
and  with  a  look  of  fond  appreciation;  "  and 
perhaps  might  give  some  advice  to  my  daugh 
ters,"  he  added. 

"  And  now  I  think  of  it,  perhaps  it  might  be 
well  to  consult  with  them  in  regard  to  some 
matters,"  said  Violet,  and  hurried  away  after 
the  girls,  who  had  gone  up  to  their  sleeping 
apartments. 

156 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

"  Have  not  you  some  preparations  to  make 
also,  Elsie?  "  asked  Mr.  Dinsmore  of  his  daugh 
ter. 

"  Very  little,"  she  answered  with  a  smile; 
"  only  some  packing  that  my  maid  can  do  in  a 
few  minutes.  Ah,  there  is  someone  wanting  to 
speak  to  me,  I  think,"  as  an  elderly  negro  came 
out  upon  the  veranda,  bowed  to  the  company 
in  general,  then  looked  toward  her  with  a  sort 
of  pleading  expression,  as  if  he  had  a  petition  to 
offer. 

She  rose  and  went  to  him,  asking  in  kindly 
inquiring  tone,  "  What  is  it,  Uncle  Joe?  " 

"  Ise  come  to  ax  a  favor,  mistiss,"  he  replied,, 
bowing  low.  "  Ole  Aunt  Silvy  she  mighty 
porely — mos'  likely  gwine  die  befo'  many  days 
— an'  she  doan  pear  to  feel  pow'ful  sure  ob  de 
road  for  to  git  to  de  bes'  place  on  de  furder  side 
ob  de  river.  She  says  Miss  Elsie  knows  da  way 
and  maybe  she  come  and  'struct  her  how  to  find 
it." 

"Indeed  I  shall  be  very  glad  if  I  can  help 
her  to  find  it,"  Elsie  answered  with  emotion. 
"  I  will  go  with  you  at  once."  Then  turning  to 
her  son,  "Harold,"  she  said,  "Uncle  Joe  re- 


158  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

ports  a  woman  at  the  quarter  as  very  ill;  will 
you  go  down  there  with  me  and  see  if  your 
medical  skill  can  give  her  any  relief?  " 

"  Certainly,  mother  dear;"  replied  Harold, 
hastening  to  her  side;  and  excusing  herself  to 
her  guests  and  taking  her  son's  arm,  Mrs.  Tra- 
villa  at  once  set  off  for  the  quarter,  Uncle  Joe 
following  respectfully  at  a  little  distance,  ready 
to  point  out  the  cabin  where  the  ailing  negress 
lay. 

They  found  her  tossing  about  on  her  bed, 
moaning  and  groaning.  "  Oh,  mistiss,"  she 
cried  as  they  entered,  "  you's  berry  good  comin' 
fo'  to  see  dis  po'  ole  darky.  I'se  pow'ful  glad 
for  to  see  you,  mistiss,  an'  de  young  massa  too. 
Uncle  Joe,  set  out  dat  cheer  fo'  de  mistiss  and 
dat  oder  one  for  de  young  massa." 

Uncle  Joe  hastened  to  do  her  bidding,  while 
Harold  felt  her  pulse  and  questioned  her  in  re 
gard  to  her  illness. 

She  complained  of  misery  m  her  head,  misery 
in  her  back,  and  being  "  pow'ful  weak,"  finish 
ing  up  with  the  query,  "  Is  I  gwine  die  dis  day, 
suh?" 

"I  think  not,"  he  replied,  "you  may  live 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  159 

for  weeks  or  months.  But  life  ia  very  uncer 
tain  with  us  all,  and  I  advise  you  to  promptly 
make  every  preparation  for  death  and  eter 
nity." 

"  Dat's  what  I  gwine  do  when  mistiss  tell  me 
how,"  she  groaned,  with  a  look  of  keen  distress 
directed  toward  Mrs.  Travilla. 

"  I  will  try  to  make  the  way  plain  to  you/' 
that  lady  returned  in  compassionate  tones. 
"  It  is  just  to  come  to  the  Lord  Jesus  confess 
ing  that  you  are  a  helpless,  undone  sinner  and 
asking  him  to  help  you — to  take  away  the  love 
of  sinning  and  wash  you  in  his  own  precious 
blood.  The  Bible  tells  us  '  He  is  able  also  to 
save  them  to  the  uttermost  that  come  unto  God 
by  him.'  And  he  says,  '  Him  that  cometh  to 
me  I  will  in  no  wise  cast  out.'  So  that  if  you 
come,  truly  seeking  him  with  all  your  heart — 
desiring  to  be  saved,  not  only  from  eternal 
death  but  from  sin  and  the  love  of  it — he  will 
hear  and  save  you." 

"Won'  you  pray  de  good  Lawd  for  dis  ole 
darky,  mistiss?  "  pleaded  the  woman.  "  You 
knows  bes'  how  to  say  de  words,  an'  dis  chile 
foller  you  in  her  heart." 


160  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

At  that  Mrs.  Travilla  knelt  beside  the  bed 
;and  offered  up  an  earnest  prayer  couched  in  the 
simplest  words,  so  that  the  poor  ignorant 
creature  on  the  bed  could  readily  understand 
and  feel  it  all. 

"  Dis  chile  am  berry  much  'bliged,  mistiss," 
she  said,  when  Mrs.  Travilla  had  resumed  her 
seat  by  the  bedside.  "I  t'ink  de  good  Lawd 
hear  dat  prayer  an  open  de  gate  ob  heaben  to 
ole  Silvy  when  she  git  dar." 

"  I  hope  so  indeed,"  Mrs.  Travilla  replied. 
"  Put  all  your  trust  in  Jesus  and  you  will  be 
safe;  for  he  died  to  save  sinners  such  as  you  and 
I.  We  cannot  do  anything  to  save  ourselves, 
Tmt  to  all  who  come  to  him  he  gives  salvation 
without  money  and  without  price.  Don't 
think  you  can  do  anything  to  earn  it;  it  is  his 
free  gift." 

"  But  de  Lawd's  chillens  got  to  be  good, 
mistiss,  aint  dey?  " 

"  Yes;  they  are  not  his  children  if  they  do 
not  try  to  know  and  do  all  his  holy  will.  Jesus 
said,  '  If  ye  love  me,  keep  my  commandments.' 
*  Ye  are  my  friends,  if  ye  do  whatsoever  I  com 
mand  3rou.'  We  have  no  right  to  consider  our- 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  162 

selves  Christians  if  we  do  not  try  earnestly  to 
keep  all  his  commands,  and  do  all  his  holy 
will." 

Harold  had  sat  there  listening  quietly  to  alt 
his  mother  said  and  had  knelt  with  her  when 
she  prayed.  Now,  when  she  paused  for  a  little,, 
he  questioned  Aunt  Silvy  about  her  ailments, 
gave  her  directions  for  taking  some  medicine, 
and  said  he  would  send  it  presently  from  the 
house.  Mrs.  Travilla  added  that  she  would 
send  some  delicacies  to  tempt  the  sickly  appe 
tite;  then  with  a  few  more  kindly  words  they 
left  the  cabin,  bidding  Uncle  Joe  a  kindly 
good-by  as  they  went. 

"  You  do  not  think  Aunt  Silvy  really  a  dying 
woman,  Harold  ?  "  his  mother  said  in  a  tone  of 
inquiry,  as  they  walked  on  together. 

"  No,  mamma;  I  shall  not  be  surprised  if  she- 
lives  for  years  yet,"  Harold  answered  cheerily. 
"  No  doubt  she  is  suffering,  but  I  think  medi 
cine,  rest,  and  suitable  food  will  relieve  her  and 
she  will  probably  be  about  again  in  a  week  or 
two.  But  preparation  for  death  and  eternity 
can  do  her  no  harm." 

"No,  certainly;  to  become  truly  a  Christian: 


162  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

must  add  to  the  happiness — as  well  as  safety — 
of  anyone/' 

"And  you  have  brought  that  happiness  to 
many  a  one,  my  dear  mother/'  Harold  said, 
giving  her  a  tenderly  affectionate  look.  "  How 
often  in  thinking  of  you  I  recall  those  words  of 
the  prophet  Daniel,  '  And  they  that  be  wise 
shall  shine  as  the  brightness  of  the  firmament; 
and  they  that  turn  many  to  righteousness,  as 
the  stars  for  ever  and  ever.' '; 

"  "Tis  a  precious  promise,"  she  said  with  emo 
tion.  "  Oh,  my  son,  make  it  the  business  of 
your  life  to  do  that;  to  help  to  the  healing  of 
souls — the  immortal  part — even  more  than  that 
of  the  frail  bodies  which  must  soon  die." 

"  Yes,  mother,"  he  said  with  emotion,  "  I  do 
try  constantly  to  do  that;  and  it  is  a  great  com 
fort  and  help  to  me  to  know  that  my  dear 
mother  is  often  asking  for  me  help  from  on 
high." 

"  Yes,"  she  said;  "  without  that  none  of  us 
could  accomplish  anything  in  the  way  of  win 
ning  souls  for  Christ;  and  every  Christian 
should  feel  that  that  is  his  principal  work. 
This  life  is  so  short  and  the  never-ending  ages 


ELSIE  IN  TEE  SOUTH.  163 

of  eternity  are  so  long.  '  Whatsoever  thy  hand 
findeth  to  do,  do  it  with  thy  might;  for  there  is 
no  work  nor  device,  nor  knowledge,  nor  wisdom 
in  the  grave  whither  thou  goest.' ': 

They  walked  on  in  silence  for  a  little,  then 
Harold  remarked  that  the  air  was  delightful 
and  a  little  more  extended  walk  might  prove 
beneficial  to  them  both. 

"  Yes,"  replied  his  mother,  "  let  us  take  a 
stroll  through  the  orange  orchard;  the  sight 
and  perfume  of  the  fruit  and  blossoms  are  de 
lightful." 

"Yes,  indeed!"  he  said,  "and  you  can  see, 
mother,  whether  everything  is  properly  cared 
for." 

"  I  expect  to  find  it  so,"  she  returned,  "  as  I 
have  every  reason  to  believe  my  overseer  both 
faithful  and  competent." 

They  enjoyed  their  stroll  greatly  and  she 
found  no  reason  to  change  her  estimate  of  the 
overseer. 

It  was  lunch  time  when  they  returned  to  the 
house,  and  on  leaving  the  table  some  of  their 
party  went  for  a  row  on  the  bayou  while  the 
rest  chose  riding  or  driving  through  the  beauti- 


164  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

f  ul  woods.  Evelyn  and  Max,  Lucilla  and  Ches 
ter  formed  the  riding  party  and  greatly  enjoyed 
their  little  excursion.  The  courting  of  the  two 
young  couples  was  carried  on  in  a  very  quiet 
way,  but  was  none  the  less  satisfactory  and  en 
joyable  for  that.  But  all  four  of  them  felt  a 
great  interest  in  the  approaching  wedding  and 
much  of  their  talk  as  they  rode  was  of  it,  and 
what  gifts  to  the  bride  would  be  the  most  ap 
propriate  and  acceptable. 

"  Chester,  you  know  you  have  promised  to 
.advise  me  what  to  give  to  Sidney,"  Lucilla  said, 
with  a  smile  into  his  eyes. 

"  You  dear  girl!  so  I  will  and  I  make  that 
same  request  of  you,  for  I  am  sure  you  know  far 
more  about  such  matters  than  I  do,"  he  re 
turned  with  a  very  loverlike  look. 

"  Quite  a  mistake,  Mr.  Dinsmore,"  she 
laughed.  "  But  I  understood  you  intended  to 
give  some  part  of  the  trousseau — perhaps  the 
wedding  dress." 

"  Yes;  that  and  pretty  much  all  the  rest  of  it. 
And  I  am  sure  youp  help  will  be  invaluable  in 
the  choice  of  the  various  articles." 

"  Thank  you,"  she  said,  with  a  pleased  laugh. 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  165 

"  It  is  very  nice  to  have  you  think  so  highly  of 
my  judgment  and  taste;  but  I  hope  you  will  let 
Grandma  Elsie  and  Mamma  Vi  and  Eva  assist 
in  the  selection." 

"  Certainly,  if  you  wish  it,  but  I  do  not 
promise  to  let  their  opinions  have  as  much 
weight  with  me  as  yours." 

"  No,  you  needn't,"  she  returned  merrily;  "  it 
is  by  no  means  disagreeable  to  have  you  con 
sider  mine  the  most  valuable,  even  though  it  be 
really  worthless  in  other  people's  esteem.  It 
is  very  possible  Sidney  might  prefer  their  choice 
to  mine." 

"Ah!  but  she  won't  have  the  chance.  By 
the  way,  your  father  has  a  good  deal  of  taste  in 
the  line  of  ladies'  dress,  has  he  not  ?  " 

"I  think  so,"  she  returned  with  a  pleased 
smile;  "  he  has  selected  many  an  article  of  dress 
for  me,  and  always  suited  my  taste  as  well  as  if 
I  had  been  permitted  to  choose  for  myself. 
What  he  buys  is  sure  to  be  of  excellent  quality 
and  suited  to  the  intended  wearer's  age,  com 
plexion,  and  needs." 

"  You  are  very  fond  of  your  father,"  Chester 
said  with  a  smile. 


166  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

"  Indeed  I  am,"  she  returned  in  an  earnest 
tone.  "I  believe  I  give  him  all  the  love  that 
should  have  been  divided  between  him  and  my 
mother,  had  she  lived.  Mamma  Vi  calls  him 
my  idol;  but  I  don't  think  I  make  him  quite 
that.  He  has  at  least  one  rival  in  my  affec 
tion/'  she  added  with  a  blush,  and  in  a  tone  so 
low  that  he  barely  caught  the  words. 

"And  I  may  guess  who  that  is,  may  I, 
dearest?  "  he  returned  in  the  same  low  key  and 
with  a  look  that  spoke  volumes  of  love,  and  joy 
in  the  certainty  of  her  affection. 

Max  and  Eva,  riding  on  a  trifle  faster,  were 
just  far  enough  ahead  and  sufficiently  absorbed 
in  their  own  private  chat  to  miss  this  little 
colloquy.  There  were  some  love  passages  be 
tween  them  also;  some  talk  of  what  they  hoped 
the  future  held  in  store  for  them  when  they 
should  be  old  enough  for  the  dear,  honored 
father  to  give  his  consent  to  their  immediate 
marriage.  Neither  of  them  seemed  to  have  a 
thought  of  going  contrary  to  his  wishes;  so 
strong  was  their  affection  for  him  and  their 
faith  in  his  wisdom  and  his  love  for  them. 

All  four  greatly  enjoyed  their  ride  and  re- 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  167 

turned  to  their  temporary  home  in  fine  health 
and  spirits. 

Chester  had  gotten  rid  of  his  troublesome 
cough  before  landing  in  Louisiana  and  was  now 
looking  younger  and  handsomer  than  he  had 
before  that  almost  fatal  wound — a  fact  which 
greatly  rejoiced  the  hearts  of  his  numerous 
relatives  and  friends.  None  more  so  than  that 
of  his  betrothed,  for  whose  defence  he  had 
risked  his  life. 

By  the  time  the  Viamede  dinner  hour  had 
arrived  all  the  pleasure  parties  had  returned 
and  were  ready  to  do  justice  to  the  good  cheer 
provided  in  abundance.  And  the  meal  was  en 
livened  by  cheerful  chat.  The  evening  was 
spent  much  as  the  previous  one  had  been  and 
all  retired  early,  that  Sabbath  morning  might 
find  them  rested,  refreshed,  and  ready  for  the 
duties  and  enjoyments  of  the  sacred  day. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

SABBATH  morning  dawned  bright  and  clear 
and  as  in  former  days  all  the  family,  old  and 
young,  attended  church  and  the  pastor's  Bible 
class.  And  in  the  afternoon  the  house  and 
plantation  servants  collected  on  the  lawn  and 
were  addressed  by  Captain  Raymond  and  Dr. 
Harold  Travilla.  Hymns  were  sung  too,  and 
prayers  offered. 

The  services  over,  the  little  congregation 
slowly  dispersed;  some  lingering  a  few  minutes 
for  a  shake  of  the  hand  and  a  few  kind  words 
from  their  loved  mistress  Mrs.  Travilla,  her 
father,  her  son,  and  Captain  Raymond;  then  as 
the  last  one  turned  to  depart,  the  captain  and 
the  doctor  walked  down  to  the  quarter  for  a 
short  call  upon  old  Aunt  Silvy,  still  lying  in 
her  bed. 

Mrs.  Travilla  had  seated  herself  in  the  ve 
randa  and  seemed  to  be  doing  nothing  but  gaze 
eut  upon  the  lovely  landscape — the  velvety, 

168 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  169 

flower-bespangled  lawn,  the  bayou,  and  the 
fields  and  woods  beyond.  But  the  slight  patter 
cf  little  feet  drew  her  attention  from  that  and 
turning  she  found  Elsie  and  Ned  at  her  side. 

"  Grandma,  will  it  be  disturbing  if  I  talk  to 
you  and  ask  some  questions?"  asked  the  little 
girl. 

"  No,  dear  child,  not  at  all,"  was  the  kindly- 
spoken  reply.  "  I  am  always  glad  to  help  my 
dear  little  grandchildren  to  information  when  it 
is  in  my  power.  Here  is  an  empty  chair  on 
each  side  of  me.  Draw  them  up  closely,  you 
and  Ned,  and  seat  yourselves  and  then  I  hope 
we  can  have  a  nice  talk." 

"Yes,  ma'am;  and  it  will  be  a  pleasant  rest 
too,"  returned  the  little  girl,  as  she  and  her 
brother  followed  the  directions.  "  Papa  told 
me  once  that  the  meaning  of  the  word  Sab 
bath  is  rest.  But  what  I  wanted  particularly 
to  ask  about  this  time,  grandma,  is  the  Feast 
of  the  Passover.  Will  you  please  tell  us  why 
it  was  kept  and  why  they  called  it  that?  " 

"  Surely,  my  dear  children,  you  have  heard 
the  story  of  the  institution  of  that  feast  of  the 
Jews  called  the  Passover!  "  said  Grandma  Elsie 


170  ELSIE  IN  TEE  SOUTH. 

in  some  surprise.  "  In  the  twelfth  chapter  of 
Exodus  there  is  a  full  account  of  its  institution. 
Every  householder  in  Israel  was  to  take  a  lamb 
of  a  year  old,  without  blemish;  and  at  even  on 
the  14th  day  of  the  month  it  was  to  be  slain. 
The  householder  was  then  to  take  of  the  blood 
of  the  lamb  and  sprinkle  the  door-posts  of  his 
house.  That  was  to  be  a  sign  to  the  destroying 
angel,  who  was  to  slay  all  the  firstborn  of  the 
Egyptians  that  night,  not  to  enter  and  slay 
here.  Then  they  were  to  roast  the  flesh  of  the 
lamb  and  eat  it  that  night  with  unleavened 
bread  and  bitter  herbs.  The  lives  of  the 
Israelites  were  saved  by  the  angel  passing 
ever,  instead  of  entering  the  house  to  destroy 
life." 

"  Oh,  yes,  grandma,  I  understand,"  said  the 
little  girl.  "  But  why  is  Christ  called  our 
passover?  You  know  the  text — 'for  even 
Christ  our  Passover  is  sacrificed  for  us.'  ''• 

"You  know,"  said  her  grandmother,  "that 
Jesus  is  often  called  the  '  Lamb  of  God ';  that 
paschal  lamb  was  a  type  of  Christ  and  is  so 
spoken  of  in  many  Scriptures." 

"  Thank  you,  grandma,  for  telling  me,"  Elsie 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  171 

said  gratefully.  "  And  the  Jews  kept  that  feast 
every  year  from  that  time  till  the  time  of  Christ, 
I  suppose.  And  he  kept  it  too.  Wasn't  it  at 
that  feast  that  he  instituted  what  we  call  the 
Lord's  Supper?  " 

"Yes/'  replied  her  grandmother;  "he  used 
the  bread  and  wine  which  were  a  part  of  that 
feast,  saying, '  Take,  eat;  this  is  my  body.  And 
he  took  the  cup  and  gave  thanks,  and  gave  it  to 
them,  saying,  Drink  ye  all  of  it;  for  this  is  my 
blood  of  the  New  Testament,  which  is  shed  for 
many  for  the  remission  of  sins.'  * 

"  Oh,  grandma,  how  good  and  kind  he  was  to 
shed  his  blood  for  us!  To  die  that  dreadful, 
dreadful  death  of  the  cross  that  we  might  go  to 
heaven! "  exclaimed  the  little  girl  with  tears  in 
her  sweet  blue  eyes.  "I  do  love  him  for  it, 
and  I  want  to  be  his  servant,  doing  everything 
he  would  have  me  do." 

"  That  is  as  we  all  should  feel,  dear  child," 
replied  her  grandmother,  bending  down  to  press 
a  kiss  upon  the  rosy  cheek. 

"  I  do,  grandma,"  said  Ned.  "  Do  you  think 
the  Lord  Jesus  takes  notice  that  we  love  him 
and  want  to  do  as  he  tells  us?  " 


172  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

"Yes,  Neddie  dear,  I  am  quite  sure  of  it," 
replied  his  grandmother.  "  The  Psalmist  saysr 
*  Thou  compassest  my  path  and  my  lying  down, 
and  art  acquainted  with  all  my  ways.  For 
there  is  not  a  word  in  my  tongue,  but,  lo,  oh, 
Lord,  thou  knowest  it  altogether.'  " 

"  It  is  so  good,  grandma,  that  God  doesn't 
think  us  not  worth  noticing,"  said  Elsie;  "  that 
he  sees  and  cares  for  us  all  the  time  and  lets  us- 
ask  his  help  whenever  we  will." 

"  It  is  indeed  good,  my  child,  and  we  are  sure 
of  it.  Jesus  said,  '  Are  not  two  sparrows  sold 
for  a  farthing?  and  one  of  them  shall  not  fall 
to  the  ground  without  your  Father.  But  the 
very  hairs  of  your  head  are  all  numbered.  Fear 
ye  not  therefore,  ye  are  of  more  value  than 
many  sparrows.' ': 

"  I  think  God  was  very  good  to  give  us  our 
father  and  mother  and  grandma;  brother  Max 
too  and  our  nice  sisters  and — and  all  the  rest  of 
the  folks,"  remarked  Ned  reflectively. 

"  I  am  very  glad  you  appreciate  all  those 
blessings,  my  little  son,"  said  his  mother's  voice 
close  at  his  side. 

"Yee,   mamma.     And   oh,   mamma!    can't 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  173= 

Elsie  and  I  go  along  with  the  rest  of  you  to  New- 
Orleans  to-morrow  ?  " 

"  I  think  so,"  she  replied  with  a  smile.  "  I 
am  pretty  sure  your  father  will  say  yes  if  you 
ask  him.  Then  he  will  have  all  his  children 
along,  and  that  is  what  he  likes." 

"He  and  Uncle  Harold  went  down  to  the 
quarter,"  said  Elsie,  "and  here  they  come 
now." 

Ned  hurried  to  meet  them,  preferred  his  re 
quest,  and  the  iiext  moment  came  running  back 
with  the  joyful  announcement,  "  Papa  says,  yes 
we  may.  Oh,  Elsie,  aren't  you  glad?  " 

"  Yes,"  she  said.  "  I  always  like  to  be  with 
papa  and  mamma  and  grandma,  and  it's  ever  so- 
pleasant  to  be  on  our  yacht." 

"  'Specially  when  we  hare  both  papa  and 
brother  Max  to  make  it  go  all  right,"  said 
Ned. 

"  You  think  it  takes  the  two  of  us,  do  you?  "" 
laughed  his  father,  taking  a  seat  near  his  wife 
and  drawing  the  little  fellow  in  between  his- 
knees. 

"No,  papa;  I  know  you  could  do  it  all  by 
your  own  self,"  returned  Ned.  "  But  when; 


174  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

brother  Max  is  there  you  don't  have  to  take  the 
trouble  to  mind  how  things  are  going  all  the 
time." 

"  No,  that's  a  fact/'  returned  his  father,  with 
a  pleased  laugh.  "Brother  Max  can  be  trusted, 
and  knows  how  to  manage  that  large  vessel 
quite  as  well  as  papa  does.  But  what  will  you 
and  Elsie  do  while  we  older  people  are  shop 
ping?  " 

"  Why,  my  dear,  there  will  be  so  many  of  us 
that  we  will  hardly  all  want  to  go  at  once,"  re 
marked  Violet.  "  I  think  there  will  always  be 
someone  willing  to  stay  with  the  little 
folks." 

"Yes,  mamma,"  said  Grace,  who  had  drawn 
near,  "I  shall.  Shopping  is  apt  to  tire  me  a 
good  deal,  and  I  think  I  shall  prefer  to  spend 
the  most  of  the  time  on  the  Dolphin" 

"  Yes,  daughter,  it  will  certainly  be  better 
for  you,"  her  fatker  said,  giving  her  an  appre 
ciative  smile.  "You  can  go  when  you  wish 
and  feel  able,  and  keep  quiet  and  rest  when  you 
will.  But  we  will  leave  the  rest  of  our  talk 
about  the  trip  until  to-morrow,  choosing  for  the 
present  some  subject  better  suited  to  the  sacred- 


ELSIE  IN  TEE  SOUTH.  175 

ness  of  the  day.  I  will  now  hear  the  texts 
which  my  children  have  got  ready  to  recite  to 
me." 

"  Yes,  sir,"  said  Grace.  "  Shall  I  go  and  tell 
Max  and  Lu  that  you  are  ready?  " 

"You  may,"  the  captain  answered  and  she 
went,  to  return  in  a  moment  with  her  brother 
and  sister,  Chester  and  Eva. 

"  Why,  I  have  quite  a  class,"  the  captain  said, 
with  a  look  of  pleasure. 

"  I  for  my  part  esteem  it  a  privilege  to  he  per 
mitted  to  make  one  of  the  number,  captain," 
said  Chester. 

"  As  we  all  do,  I  think,"  said  Eva. 

"  Thank  you  both,"  said  the  captain.  "  Our 
principal  subject  to-day  is  grace;  God's  grace  to 
us.  Can  you  give  me  a  text  that  teaches  it, 
Chester?  " 

"  Yes,  sir.  Paul  says  in  his  epistle  to  the 
Ephesians,  '  That  in  the  ages  to  come  he  might 
shew  the  exceeding  riches  of  his  grace,  in  his 
kindness  toward  us  through  Christ  Jesus.  For 
by  grace  are  ye  saved  through  faith;  and  that 
not  of  yourselves;  it  is  the  gift  of  God.'  " 

"  '  Being  justified  freely  by  his  grace  through 


176  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

the  redemption  that  is  in  Christ  Jesus/ " 
quoted  Max  in  his  turn. 

Then  Evelyn,  "  '  Therefore  it  is  of  faith,  that 
it  might  be  by  grace;  to  the  end  the  promise 
might  be  sure  to  all  the  seed;  not  to  that  only 
which  is  of  the  law,  but  to  that  also  which  is  of 
the  faith  of  Abraham;  who  is  the  father  of  us 
all.' " 

Lucilla's  turn  came  next  and  she  repeated  a 
text  from  2d  Peter:  " '  Grow  in  grace,  and  in 
the  knowledge  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus 
Christ.  To  him  be  glory  both  now  and  for 
ever.  Amen.' '! 

"  I  have  two  texts  that  seem  to  go  well  to 
gether,"  said  Violet.  "  The  first  is  in  Prov 
erbs,  '  Surely  he  scorneth  the  scorners:  but  he 
giveth  grace  unto  the  lowly.'  The  other  is  in 
James,  '  But  he  giveth  more  grace.  Where 
fore  he  saith,  God  resisteth  the  proud  but  giveth 
grace  unto  the  humble.'  " 

It  was  Grace's  turn  and  she  repeated,  with  a 
look  of  joy,  " '  For  the  Lord  God  is  a  sun  and 
shield;  the  Lord  will  give  grace  and  glory;  no 
good  thing  will  he  withhold  from  them  that 


ELSIE  IN  TEE  SOUTH.  177 

walk  uprightly.  Oh,  Lord  of  hosts,  blessed  is 
the  man  that  trusteth  in  thee.' " 

"  I  have  a  little  one,  papa,"  said  his  daughter 
Elsie:  "'Looking  diligently  lest  any  man  fail 
of  the  grace  of  God/  " 

"  This  is  mine  and  it  is  short  too,"  said  Ned.. 
"  *  Thou  therefore,  my  son,  be  strong  in  the 
grace  that  is  in  Christ  Jesus.' " 

"  Yes,  my  boy,  that  is  a  short  verse,  but  long 
enough  if  you  will  be  careful  to  put  it  in  prac 
tice,"  said  his  father. 

Grandma  Elsie,  sitting  near,  had  been  listen 
ing  attentively  to  the  quotations  of  the  younger 
people  and  now  she  joined  in  with  one:  " '  And 
of  his  fulness  have  all  we  received,  and  grace  f or 
grace.  For  the  law  was  given  by  Moses,  but 
grace  and  truth  came  by  Jesus  Christ.'  *  Where 
fore  gird  up  the  loins  of  your  mind,  be  sober, 
and  hope  to  the  end  for  the  grace  that  is  to  be 
brought  unto  you  at  the  revelation  of  Jesus- 
Christ.'  " 

As  she  ceased,  Cousin  Ronald,  who  had  drawn 
near,  joined  in  the  exercise,  repeating  the  text,. 
" '  What  shall  we  say  then?  Shall  we  continue 


178  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

in  sin  that  grace  may  abound?  .  .  .  Shall  we 
sin  because  we  are  not  under  the  law,  but  under 
grace?  God  forbid/  "  then,  at  the  captain's  re 
quest,  followed  them  with  a  few  pertinent  re 
marks.  A  little  familiar  talk  from  the  captain 
followed  and  then  came  the  call  to  the  tea  table. 
All  retired  early  to  their  beds  that  night  that 
they  might  be  ready  to  leave  them  betimes  in 
the  morning  and  set  out  in  good  season  on  their 
trip  to  the  city.  They  succeeded  in  so  doing, 
all  feeling  well  and  in  the  best  of  spirits. 

The  weather  was  fine,  their  voyage  a  prosper 
ous  one  without  any  remarkable  adventure,  and 
the  shopping  proved  quite  as  interesting  and 
enjoyable  as  any  of  the  shoppers  had  expected. 

They  all  made  the  yacht  their  headquarters 
while  they  stayed,  and  the  little  ones  hardly 
left  it  at  all.  They  had  always  a  companion; 
generally  it  was  Grace,  and  she  exerted  herself 
for  their  entertainment — playing  games  with 
them  and  telling  them  stories  or  reading  aloud 
from  some  interesting  book. 

All  enjoyed  the  return  voyage  to  Viamede 
and  the  warm  welcome  from  Grandpa  and 
Orandma  Dinsmore  on  their  arrival  there. 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  179 

Then  it  was  a  pleasure  to  display  their  pur 
chases  and  hear  the  admiring  comments  upon 
them.  The  bridal  veil  and  the  material  for  the 
wedding  dress  were  greatly  admired  and  all  the 
purchases  highly  approved  of  by  both  these 
grandparents  and  the  relatives  from  the  Parson 
age,  Magnolia,  and  Torriswood,  all  of  whom 
came  in  early  in  the  evening,  full  of  interest  in 
the  results  of  the  shopping  expedition. 

They  had  a  pleasant  social  time  together,  the 
principal  topic  of  conversation  being  the  bride's 
trousseau  and  so  forth,  and  the  various  arrange 
ments  for  the  coming  festivities  to  be  had  in 
connection  with  the  approaching  marriage. 

Chester  had  been  very  generous  in  providing 
the  trousseau,  and  Sidney  was  very  grateful  to 
him.  Each  of  the  Raymonds  made  her  a  gift 
of  a  handsome  piece  of  silver,  Grandma  Elsie 
adding  a  beautiful  set  of  jewelry.  Sidney  was< 
delighted  with  her  gifts.  "  Oh,  Ches,  but  you 
are  good  to  me!  "  she  exclaimed  with  glad  tears 
in  her  eyes;  "  and  all  the  rest  of  you,  dear 
friends  and  relatives.  This  jewelry,  Cousin 
Elsie,  is  lovely,  and  I  shall  always  think  of  you 
when  I  wear  it.  All  the  silver  is  just  beautiful 


180  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

too,  and  indeed  everything.  I  feel  as  rich  as  a 
queen." 

"And  when  you  have  Cousin  Bob  added  to 
all  the  rest,  how  do  you  suppose  you  are  going 
to  stand  it?  "  laughed  Harold. 

"  Oh,  as  the  gifts  are  partly  to  him,  he  will 
help  me  to  stand  it,"  Sidney  returned,  with  a 
.smiling  glance  at  her  affianced. 

"  I'll  do  my  best,"  he  answered,  returning  the 
.smile. 

"  You  must  not  allow  yourselves  to  be  over 
whelmed  yet,"  remarked  Mr.  Embury,  "when 
not  half  the  relatives  and  friends  have  been 
heard  from." 

"And  I'll  warrant  my  sister  Betty  will  re 
member  my  bride  with  something  worth  while," 
remarked  the  bridegroom-elect. 

"  Yes,  she  will;  I  haven't  a  doubt  of  it,"  said 
Mrs.  Embury;  "and  as  they  are  in  good  cir 
cumstances  it  will  no  doubt  be  something  hand 
some." 

"Of  course  it  will,"  said  Dick.  "Sister 
Betty  was  always  a  generous  soul,  taking  delight 
in  giving." 

"  Being  related  to  you  both,  Bob  and  Sid,  I 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  181 

want  to  give  you  something  worth  while. 
What  would  you  like  it  to  be?"  said  Mrs. 
Keith. 

"  Oh,  never  mind,  Isa,"  exclaimed  Dr.  John 
son,  jocosely,  "  your  husband  is  to  tie  the  knot, 
and  if  he  does  it  right — as  no  doubt  he  will — 
he  will  give  me  my  bride,  and  that  will  be  the 
best,  most  valuable  gift  any  one  could  bestow 
upon  me." 

"  Yes,"  laughed  Isa;  "  but  it  won't  hurt  you 
to  have  something  else — something  from  me 
too." 

"  Oh,  by  the  way,  why  shouldn't  we  have  a 
triple  wedding?"  exclaimed  Maud.  "I  think 
it  would  be  just  lovely!  It  struck  me  so  when 
I  heard  yesterday  of  the  engagement  of  Max 
and  Eva." 

At  that  the  young  people  colored,  the  girls 
looking  slightly  embarrassed,  but  no  one  spoko 
for  a  moment. 

"Don't  you  think  it  would  make  a  pretty 
wedding,  Cousin  Vi?  "  asked  Maud. 

"  I  dare  say  it  would,  Maud,"  replied  Mra. 
Raymond,  "  but  our  young  folks  are  too  young 
jet  for  marriage,  my  husband  thinks,  and 


182  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

should  all  wait  for  a  year  or  two.  Besides/'  she 
added  with  playful  look  and  tone,  "  there  would 
be  hapdly  time  to  make  ready  a  proper  trous 
seau  for  either,  and  certainly  not  for  both." 

"  Oh,  well,  I  hardly  expected  to  be  able  to 
bring  it  about,"  returned  Maud,  "but  I  cer 
tainly  do  think  it  would  be  pretty." 

"  So  it  would,"  said  Mrs.  Embury;  "  very 
pretty  indeed,  but  that  woulda't  pay  for  hurry 
ing  anyone  into  marriage  before  he  or  she  is 
ready." 

"  No,"  said  Cousin  Ronald,  "  it  is  always  best 
to  make  haste  slowly  in  matters  so  vitally  im 
portant." 

"  Wouldn't  you  be  willing  to  make  haste 
quickly  in  this  instance,  dearest? "  queried 
Chester  in  a  low  aside  to  Lucilk<;  for  as  usual 
they  sat  near  together. 

"  No,"  she  returned  with  a  saucy  smile,  "  I 
find  courting  times  too  pleasant  to  be  willing  to 
cut  them  short;  even  if  father  would  let  me; 
and  I  know  he  would  not." 

"  And  he  won't  let  the  other  couple;  which  is 
good,  since  misery  loves  company." 

"Ah,  is  courting  me  such  hard  work?"  she 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  183 

asked,  knitting  her  brows  in  pretended  anger 
and  disgust. 

"Delightful  work,  but  taking  you  for  my 
very  own  would  be  still  better." 

"  Ah,  but  you  see  that  Captain  Raymond  con 
siders  me  one  of  the  little  girls  who  are  still  too 
young  to  leave  their  fathers." 

"  Well,  you  know  I  am  pledged  never  to  take 
you  away  from  him." 

"  Yes,  I  am  too  happy  in  the  knowledge  of 
that  ever  to  forget  it.  But  do  you  know  I  for 
one  should  not  fancy  being  married  along  with 
other  couples — one  ceremony  serving  for  all.  I 
should  hardly  feel  sure  the  thing  had  been  thor 
oughly  and  rightly  done." 

"  Shouldn't  you?  "  laughed  Chester.  "  Well, 
then,  we  will  have  the  minister  and  ceremony 
all  to  ourselves  whenever  we  do  have  it." 

Just  then  the  lady  visitors  rose  to  take  leave, 
and  Chester,  who  had  promised  to  return  with 
Dr.  and  Mrs.  Percival  to  Torriswood  for  the 
night,  had  time  for  but  a  few  words  with  Lu- 
cilla.  "  I  hope  to  be  here  again  to-morrow 
pretty  soon  after  breakfast,"  he  said.  "I 
grudge  every  hour  spent  away  from  your  side.** 


184  ELSIE  IN  TEE  SOUTH. 

"  Really,  you  flatter  me,"  she  laughed.  "  I 
doubt  if  anybody  else  appreciates  my  society  so> 
highly." 

"  You  axe  probably  mistaken  as  to  that,"  he 
said.  "  I  am  quite  aware  that  I  am  not  your 
cnly  admirer,  and  I  feel  highly  flattered  by  your 
preference  for  me." 

"  Do  you?  "  she  laughed.  "  Well,  I  think  it 
would  not  be  prudent  to  tell  you  how  great  it 
is — if  I  could.  Good-night,"  giving  him  her 
hand,  which  he  lifted  to  his  lips. 

As  usual  she  had  a  bit  of  chat  with  her  father 
before  retiring  to  her  sleeping  apartment  for 
the  night,  and  in  that  she  repeated  something- 
of  this  little  talk  with  Chester.  "  Yes,  he  is- 
very  much  in  love,  and  finds  it  hard  to  wait,'r 
said  the  captain;  "  but  I  am  no  more  ready  to 
give  up  my  daughter  than  he  is  to  wait  for  her/* 

"  I  am  in  no  hurry,  papa,"  said  Lucilla,  "  I 
do  so  love  to  be  with  you  and  under  your  care — 
and  authority,"  she  added  with  a  mirthful,  lov 
ing  look  up  into  his  eyes. 

"  Yes,  daughter  dear,  but  do  you  expect  to 
escape  entirely  from  that  last  when  you 
marry?" 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  185 

"No,  sir;  and  I  don't  want  to.  I  really  do 
love  to  be  directed  and  controlled  by  you — my 
-own  dear  father." 

"  I  think  no  man  ever  had  a  dearer  child  than 
this  one  of  mine,"  he  said  with  emotion,  draw 
ing  her  into  his  arma  and  caressing  her  with 
great  tenderness.  He  held  her  close  for  a  mo 
ment,  then  releasing  her  bade  her  go  and  pre 
pare  for  her  night's  rest. 

Max  and  Evelyn  were  again  sauntering  along 
near  the  bayou,  enjoying  a  bit  of  private  chat 
before  separating  for  the  night. 

"  What  do  you  think  of  Maud's  proposition, 
Eva?  "he  asked. 

"  It  seems  hardly  worth  while  to  think  about 
it  at  all,  Max,"  she  replied  in  a  mirthful  tone; 
"  at  least  not  if  one  cares  for  a  trousseau;  or  for 
pleasing  your  father  in  regard  to  the  time  of — 
taking  that  important  step;  tying  that  knot  that 
we  cannot  untie  again  should  we  grow  ever  so 
tired  of  it." 

"  I  have  no  fear  of  that  last  so  far  as  my 
feelings  are  concerned,  dearest,  and  I  hope  you 
have  none,"  he  said  in  a  tone  that  spoke  some 
slight  uneasiness. 


186  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

"  Not  the  slightest/'  she  hastened  to  reply. 
"  I  think  we  know  each  other  too  thoroughly  to 
indulge  any  such  doubts  and  fears.  Still,  as  I 
have  great  faith  in  your  father's  wisdom,  and 
courting  times  are  not  by  any  means  unpleas 
ant,  I  feel  in  no  haste  to  bring  them  to  an  end. 
You  make  such  a  delightful  lover,  Max,  that 
the  only  thing  I  feel  in  a  hurry  about  is  the 
right  to  call  the  dear  captain  father." 

"  Ah,  I  don't  wonder  that  you  are  in  haste 
for  that,"  returned  Max.  "I  should  be  sorry 
indeed  not  to  have  that  right.  He  is  a  father 
to  love  and  to  be  proud  of." 

"He  is  indeed,"  she  responded.  "I  fell  in 
love  with  him  at  first  sight  and  have  loved  him 
more  and  more  ever  since;  for  the  better  one 
knows  him  the  more  admirable  and  lovable  he 
seems." 

"  I  think  that  is  true,"  said  Max.  "  I  am 
very  proud  of  my  father  and  earnestly  desire  to 
have  him  proud  of  me." 

"  Which  he  evidently  is,"  returned  Eva,  "  and 
I  don't  wonder  at  it." 

"  Thank   you,"   laughed   Max;   then   added 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  187 

more  gravely,  "  I  hope  I  may  never  do  anything 
to  disgrace  him." 

"  I  am  sure  you  never  will,"  returned  Eva  in 
a  tone  that  seemed  to  say  such  a  thing  could  not 
be  possible.  "Had  we  not  better  retrace  our 
steps  to  the  house  now?  "  she  asked  the  next 
moment. 

"  Probably,"  said  Max.  "  I  presume  father 
would  say  I  ought  not  to  deprive  you  of  your 
beauty  sleep.  But  these  private  walks  and 
•chats  are  so  delightful  to  me  that  I  am  apt  to  be 
selfish  about  prolonging  them." 

"And  your  experience  on  shipboard  has  ac 
customed  you  to  late  hours,  I  suppose?  " 

"Yes;  to  rather  irregular  times  of  sleeping 
and  waking.  A  matter  of  small  importance, 
however,  when  one  gets  used  to  it." 

"  But  there  would  be  the  rub  with  me,"  she 
laughed,  "  in  the  getting  used  to  it." 


CHAPTER  XII. 

"  COUSIN  RONALD,  can't  you  make  some  fun 
for  us?  "  asked  Ned  at  the  breakfast  table  the 
next  morning.  "  We  haven't  had  any  of  your 
kind  since  we  came  here." 

"  Well,  and  what  of  that,  youngster?  must 
you  live  on  fun  all  the  time?"  asked  a  rough 
voice  directly  behind  the  little  boy. 

"  Oh!  who  are  you?  and  how  did  you  come  in 
here?"  he  asked,  turning  half  round  in  hie 
chair,  in  the  effort  to  see  the  speaker.  "  Oh,, 
pshaw!  you're  nobody.  Was  it  you,  Cousin 
Ronald?  or  was  it  brother  Max?" 

"  Polite  little  boys  do  not  call  gentlemen  no 
bodies,"  remarked  another  voice  that  seemed  to- 
come  from  a  distant  corner  of  the  room. 

"And  I  didn't  mean  to,"  said  Ned,  "but 
the  things  I  want  to  say  will  twist  up,  some 
how." 

"  That  bird  you  are  eating  looks  good,"  said 
the  same  voice;  "  couldn't  you  spare  me  a  leg?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,"  laughed  Ned,  "  if  you'll  come  and 

HI 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  189 

get  it.  But  one  of  these  little  legs  wouldn't  be 
much  more  than  a  bite  for  you." 

"  Well,  a  bite  would  be  better  than  no  break 
fast  at  all;  and  somebody  might  give  me  one  of 
those  nice-looking  rolls." 

"  I'm  sure  of  it  if  you'll  come  to  the  table  and 
show  yourself/'  replied  Ned. 

"  Here  I  am  then,"  said  the  voice  close  at  his 
side. 

"  Oh,  are  you?  "  returned  Ned.  "  Well,  help 
yourself.  You  can  have  anything  you  choose 
to  take." 

"Now,  Ned,  do  you  call  that  polite?" 
laughed  Lucilla.  "  As  you  invited  him  to  the 
table  you  surely  ought  to  help  him  to  what  he 
has  asked  for." 

At  that  Ned  looked  scrutinizingly  at  Cousin 
Eonald's  plate,  then  at  his  brother's,  and  seeing 
that  both  were  well  filled  remarked,  "  I  see  he's 
well  helped  already  and  oughtn't  to  be  asking 
for  more  till  he  gets  that  eaten  up." 

"  Oh,  you  know  too  much,  young  man," 
laughed  Max.  "It  isn't  worth  while  for 
Cousin  Eonald  and  me  to  waste  our  talents 
upon  you." 


190  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

"  Oh,  yes,  it  is,  Brother  Max,"  said  the  little 
fellow,  "  for  it's  fun,  even  though  I  do  know  it's 
one  or  the  other  or  both  of  you." 

"  Oh,  Cousin  Ronald,"  exclaimed  Elsie, 
"  can't  you  make  some  fun  at  the  wedding,  as 
you  did  when  Cousin  Betty  was  married?  I 
don't  remember  much  of  it  myself,  but  I've 
heard  other  folks  tell  about  it." 

"  Why  not  ask  Max  instead  of  me?  "  queried 
Mr.  Lilburn. 

"  Oh!  "  cried  the  little  girl,  "  I'd  like  to  have 
both  of  you  do  it.  It's  more  fun  with  two  than 
with  only  one." 

"And  it  might  be  well  to  consult  cousins 
Maud  and  Dick  about  it,"  suggested  Grandma 
Elsie.  "  You  can  do  so  to-day,  as  we  are  all  in 
vited  to  take  lunch  at  Torriswood." 

"Are  we?  oh,  that's  nice!"  exclaimed  Elsie, 
smiling  brightly.  "  You  will  let  us  go,  papa, 
won't  you?  " 

"  Yes;  I  expect  to  take  you  there." 

"And  if  we  all  go  Cousin  Ronald  and  Max 
might  make  some  fun  for  us  there.  I  guess  the 
Torriswood  folks  would  like  it,"  remarked  Ned 
insinuatingly. 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  191 

"  But  might  not  you  grow  tired — having  so 
much  of  it?  "  asked  Max. 

"  No,  indeed!  "  cried  the  little  fellow.  "  It's 
too  much  fun  for  anybody  to  get  tired  of  it." 

"  Any  little  chap  like  you,  perhaps/'  re 
marked  the  strange  voice  from  the  distant 
corner. 

"Pooh!  I'm  not  so  very  little  now,"  returned 
Ned. 

"  Not  too  little  to  talk  a  good  deal,"  laughed 
Grandpa  Dinsmore. 

"  This  is  a  lovely  morning,"  remarked  Dr. 
Harold,  "the  roads  are  in  fine  condition  too, 
and  I  think  the  distance  to  Torriswood  is  not 
too  great  to  make  a  very  pleasant  walk  for  those 
of  us  who  are  young  and  strong." 

"  And  there  are  riding  horses  and  convey 
ances  in  plenty  for  any  who  prefer  to  use  them," 
added  his  mother. 

Evelyn,  Lucilla,  and  Max  all  expressed  their 
desire  to  try  the  walk,  and  Grace  said,  "I  should 
like  to  try  it  too;"  but  both  her  father  and  Dr. 
Harold  put  a  veto  upon  that,  saying  she  was  not 
strong  enough,  so  must  be  content  to  ride. 

"  Cousin  Eonald  and  brother  Max,  can't  we 


192  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

have  some  fun  there  to-day,  as  well  as  at  the 
wedding  time?"  said  Ned  in  his  most  coaxing 
tones. 

"  Possibly,  bit  laddie,"  returned  the  old  gen 
tleman  pleasantly.  "  If  I  am  not  too  auld,  your 
good  brother  is  no'  too  young." 

"  But  you  are  the  more  expert  of  the  two, 
sir,"  said  Max;  "  and  perhaps  it  may  be  the  bet 
ter  plan  for  us  both  to  take  part." 

"Ah,  well,  we'll  see  when  the  time  comes," 
responded  the  old  gentleman.  "  I  like  well  to 
please  the  bit  laddie,  if  it  can  be  done  without 
vexing  or  disturbing  anybody  else." 

"  I  don't  think  it  can  do  that,"  observed  Ned 
wisely,  "  for  it's  good  fun  and  everybody  likes 
fun.  Even  my  papa  does,"  he  added  with  a 
smiling  glance  up  into  his  father's  face. 

"  Yes;  when  it  does  not  annoy  or  weary  any 
one  else,"  the  captain  said  in  return. 

"Will  Chester  be  over  here  this  morning, 
Lu?"  asked  Violet. 

"  He  expected  to  when  he  went  away  last 
night,"  was  the  reply.  "  But  possibly  he  may 
not  come  if  he  hears  that  we  are  to  go  there." 

"  I  think  he  is  too  much  a  man  of  his  word 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  193 

to  be  hindered  by  that,"  her  father  said,  giving 
her  a  reassuring  smile. 

And  he  was  right,  for  Chester  was  with  them 
even  a  little  earlier  than  usual. 

"  Maud  told  me  you  were  all  coming  over  to 
lunch  with  her,"  he  said,  "  but  as  some  of  you 
have  never  seen  the  place,  I  thought  you  might 
not  object  to  a  pilot,  and  the  exercise  would 
be  rather  beneficial  to  me." 

"  You  are  right  there,"  said  Harold.  "  You 
know  that  as  your  physician  I  have  prescribed  a 
good  deal  of  outdoor  exercise." 

"Yes;  I  have  been  taking  the  prescription, 
too,  and  I  find  it  beneficial;  especially  when  I 
am  so  fortunate  as  to  secure  pleasant  company." 
His  glance  at  Lucilla  as  he  spoke  seemed  to 
imply  that  there  was  none  more  desirable  than 
hers. 

"  Then,  as  the  walk  is  a  long  one,  I  would 
suggest  that  we  start  as  soon  as  may  suit  the 
convenience  of  the  ladies,"  said  Harold,  and 
Evelyn  and  Lucilla  hastened  to  make  such  prep 
aration  as  they  deemed  necessary  or  desir 
able. 

The  Parsonage  was  scarce  a  stone's  throw  out 


194  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

of  their  path  and  they  called  there  on  their  way. 
They  owed  Isadore  a  call  and  were  willing  to 
make  one  upon  her  sister  Virginia  also — now 
making  her  home  at  the  Parsonage — though 
she  had  not  as  yet  called  upon  them. 

They  found  both  ladies  upon  the  veranda. 
Isadore  gave  them  a  joyful  welcome,  Virginia  a 
cool  one,  saying,  "  I  should  have  called  upon 
you  before  now,  but  I  know  poor  relations  are 
not  apt  to  prove  welcome  visitors." 

"  But  I  had  thought  you  were  making  your 
home  at  Viamede,"  said  Dr.  Harold. 

"No;  not  since  Dick  and  Bob  removed  to 
Torriswood.  I  couldn't  think  of  living  on 
there  alone;  so  came  here  to  Isa,  she  being  my 
nearest  of  kin  in  this  part  of  the  world." 

Harold  thought  he  did  not  envy  Isa  on  that 
account,  but  prudently  refrained  from  saying 
so. 

Isa  invited  them  to  stay  and  spend  the  day 
there,  but  they  declined,  stating  that  they  were 
on  their  way  to  Torriswood  by  invitation. 

"  Yes,"  said  Virginia;  "  they  can  invite  rich 
relations  but  entirely  neglect  poor  me." 

"Why,  Virgie,"  exclaimed  Isadore  in  aur- 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  195 

prise,  "I  am  sure  you  have  been  invited  there 
more  than  once  since  you  have  been  here." 

"  Well,  I  knew  it  was  only  a  duty  invitation 
and  they  didn't  really  want  me;  so  I  didn't  go. 
I  have  a  little  more  sense  than  to  impose 
my  company  upon  people  who  don't  really 
want  it." 

"  I  shouldn't  think  anybody  would  while  you 
show  such  an  ugly  temper,"  thought  Lucilla, 
but  refrained  from  saying  it.  She  and  her 
companions  made  but  a  short  call,  presently 
bade  good-by  and  continued  on  their  way  to 
Torriswood. 

They  received  a  warm  welcome  there  and 
were  presently  joined  by  the  rest  of  their  party 
from  Viamede.  There  was  some  lively  and 
animated  chat  in  regard  to  letters  sent  and 
letters  received,  the  making  of  the  wedding 
dresa  and  various  other  preparations  for  the 
coming  ceremony,  to  all  of  which  little  Ned 
listened  rather  impatiently;  then,  as  soon  as  a 
pause  in  the  conversation  gave  him  an  opportu 
nity,  he  turned  to  Dr.  Percival,  saying,  "  Cousin 
Dick,  wouldn't  it  be  right  nice  to  have  a  little 
fun?" 


196  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

"Fun,  Neddie?  Why,  certainly,  my  boy;  fun 
is  often  quite  beneficial  to  the  health.  But 
how  shall  we  manage  it?  have  you  a  good  joke 
for  us?" 

"  No,  sir,"  said  Ned,  "  but  you  know  we  have 
two  ventriloquists  here  and — and  I  like  the 
kind  of  fun  they  make.  Don't  you?  " 

"  It  is  certainly  very  amusing  sometimes,  and 
I  see  no  objection  if  our  friends  are  willing  to 
favor  us  with  some  specimens  of  their  skill," 
was  the  reply,  accompanied  by  a  glance  first  at 
Mr.  Milburn,  then  at  Max. 

"Oh!"  exclaimed  Maud,  "that  might  be  a 
good  entertainment  for  our  wedding  guests! " 

"Probably,"  returned  her  husband,  "but  if 
it  is  to  be  used  then  it  would  be  well  not  to  let 
our  servants  into  the  secret  beforehand." 

"Decidedly  so,  I  should  say,"  said  Max. 
"  It  would  be  better  to  reserve  that  entertain 
ment  for  that  time." 

"  But  surely  it  would  do  no  harm  to  give  us 
a  few  examples  of  your  skill  to-day,  when  the 
servants  are  out  of  the  room,"  said  Maud. 

"  No,  certainly  not,  if  anything  worth  while 
could  be  thought  of,"  said  Max;  "  but  it  seems 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  197 

to  me  that  it  must  be  quite  an  old  story  with  all 
of  us  here." 

"  Not  to  me,  brother  Max,"  exclaimed  Ned. 
<e  And  the  funny  things  you  and  Cousin  Ronald 
seem  to  make  invisible  folks  say  make  other 
people  laugh  as  well  as  me." 

"  And  laughter  is  helpful  to  digestion/'  said 
a  strange  voice,  apparently  speaking  from  the 
doorway.  "  But  should  folks  digest  too  well 
these  doctors  might  find  very  little  to  do.  So 
it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  if  they  object  to  let 
ting  much  fun  be  made." 

"  But  the  doctors  haven't  objected,"  laughed 
Dr.  Percival,  "and  I  have  no  fear  that  work 
for  them  will  fail  even  if  some  of  their  patients 
should  laugh  and  grow  fat." 

"  I  presume  that's  what  the  little  fellow  that 
wants  the  fun  has  been  doing,"  said  the  voice; 
"for  as  regards  fat  he  is  in  prime  condi 
tion." 

At  that  Ned  colored  and  looked  slightly 
vexed.  "  Papa,  am  I  so  very  fat?  "  he  asked. 

"  None  too  fat  to  suit  my  taste,  my  son,"  re 
plied  the  captain,  smiling  kindly  on  the  little 
fellow. 


198  ELSIE  IN  TEE  SOUTH. 

"  And  you  wouldn't  want  to  be  a  bag  of 
bones,  would  you?  "  queried  the  voice. 

"No,"  returned  Ned  sturdily,  "I'd  a  great 
deal  rather  be  fat;  bones  are  ugly  things  any 
way." 

"  Good  to  cover  up  with  fat,  but  very  neces 
sary  underneath  it,"  said  the  voice.  "  You 
couldn't  stand  or  walk  if  you  had  no  bones." 

"  No;  to  be  sure  not;  though  I  never  thought 
about  it  before,"  returned  Ned.  "  Some  ugly 
things  are  worth  more,  after  all,  than  some 
pretty  ones." 

"  Very  true,"  said  the  voice;  "  so  we  must  not 
despise  anything  merely  because  it  lacks 
beauty." 

"Is  it  you  talking,  Cousin  Ronald,  or  is  it 
brother  Max  ?  "  asked  Ned,  looking  searchingly 
first  at  one  and  then  at  the  other. 

"  No  matter  which,  laddie,"  said  the  old  gen 
tleman;  "  and  who  shall  say  it  hasn't  been  both 
of  us?" 

"  Oh,  yes,  maybe  it  was!  I  couldn't  tell," 
exclaimed  Ned. 

But  lunch  was  now  ready  and  all  repaired  to 
tbe  table.  The  blessing  had  been  asked  and 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  199 

all  were  sitting  quietly  as  Dr.  Percival  took  up 
a  knife  to  carve  a  fowl.  "Don't,  oh,  don't!" 
seemed  to  come  from  it  in  a  terrified  scream. 
4(  I'm  all  right.  No  need  of  a  surgeon's  knife." 

Everyone  was  startled  for  an  instant,  the 
doctor  nearly  dropping  his  knife;  then  there 
was  a  general  laugh  and  the  carving  proceeded 
without  further  objection.  The  servants  were 
all  out  of  the  room  at  the  moment. 

"Ah,  Cousin  Eonald,  that  reminds  me  of 
very  old  times,  when  I  was  a  little  child,"  said 
Violet,  giving  the  old  gentleman  a  mirthful 
look. 

"  Ah,  yes!  "  he  said,  "  I  remember  now  that  I 
was  near  depriving  you  of  your  share  of  the 
fowl  when  breakfasting  one  morning  at  your 
father's  hospitable  board.  Have  you  not  yet 
forgiven  that  act  of  indiscretion?" 

"  Indeed,  yes;  fully  and  freely  long  ago. 
But  it  was  really  nothing  to  forgive — your  in 
tention  having  been  to  afford  amusement  to  us 
all." 

"  Neddie,  shall  I  help  you?  are  you  willing  to 
eat  of  a  fowl  that  can  scream  out  so  much  like 
a  human  creature?  "  asked  Dr.  Percival. 


200  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

"  Oh,  yes,  Cousin  Doctor;  'cause  I  know  just 
how  he  did  it,"  laughed  the  little  boy. 

Then  the  talk  about  the  table  turned  upon 
various  matters  connected  with  the  subject  of 
the  approaching  wedding — whether  this  or  that 
relative  would  be  likely  to  come;  when  he  or 
ehe  might  be  expected  to  arrive,  and  where  be 
entertained;  the  adornment  of  the  grounds  for 
the  occasion;  the  fashion  in  which  each  of  the 
brides's  new  dresses  should  be  made  and  what 
jewelry,  if  any,  she  should  wear  when  dressed 
for  the  ceremony.  Also  about  a  maid  of  honor 
and  bridesmaids. 

"I  want  to  have  two  or  three  little  flower 
girls,"  said  Sidney;  "and  I  have  thought  of 
Elsie  Dinsmore,  Elsie  Embury,  and  Elsie  Ray 
mond  as  the  ones  I  should  prefer;  they  are  near 
enough  of  an  age,  all  related  to  me  and  all  quite 
pretty;  at  least  they  will  look  so  when  hand 
somely  dressed,"  she  added  with  a  laughing 
look  at  the  one  present,  who  blushed  and 
seemed  slightly  embarrassed  for  a  moment,  but 
said  not  a  word. 

"I  highly  approve  if  we  can  get  the  other 
two  here  in  season,"  said  Maud. 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  201 

"  Then  for  my  maid  of  honor  I  must  have 
one  of  you  older  girls,"  continued  Sidney. 
"  Perhaps  I'll  want  all  three.  I  don't  know  yet 
how  many  groomsmen  Robert  is  going  to 
have." 

"  Cousin  Harold  and  my  friend  Max,  if  they 
will  serve,"  said  Robert,  glancing  inquiringly 
at  them  in  turn. 

"  Thank  you,  Bob,"  said  Harold;  "  seeing  you 
are  a  brother  physician — cousin  as  well — I  can 
not  think  of  refusing.  In  fact  I  consider  my 
self  quite  honored." 

Max  also  accepted  the  invitation  with  suit 
able  words  and  the  talk  went  on. 

"Are  you  expecting  to  take  a  trip?"  asked 
Harold. 

"  Yes;  we  talk  of  going  to  the  Bahamas,"  said 
Robert.  "  It  is  said  to  be  a  delightful  winter 
jesort  and  neither  of  us  has  ever  been  there." 

"  Then  I  think  you  will  be  likely  to  enjoy 
your  visit  there  greatly,"  responded  Harold. 

"So  we  think,"  said  Robert.  "But  now 
about  groomsmen;  I'd  like  to  add  your  brother 
Herbert  and  Sidney's  brother  Frank  if  we  can 
get  them  here,  and  they  are  willing  to  serve. 


202  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

Chester  won't,  because  Lu  must  not  be  a  brides 
maid,  having  served  twice  or  thrice  already  in 
that  capacity — and  you  know  the  old  saying, 
'  Three  times  a  bridesmaid  never  a  bride.' ': 

"  I  have  little  doubt  of  the  willingness  of  the 
lads  if  they  are  here  in  season,"  returned  Har 
old;  "  but  I  think  Herbert's  movements  will  de 
pend  largely  upon  those  of  Cousin  Arthur 
Conly.  It  would  hardly  do  for  all  three  of  us 
to  absent  ourselves  from  professional  duties  at 
the  same  time." 

"  But  Frank  can  be  spared  from  his,  I  sup 
pose?"  Robert  said  inquiringly,  turning  to 
Chester  as  he  spoke. 

"  Yes;  for  a  short  time,  I  think,"  was  Ches 
ter's  reply. 

"  Come,  let  us  all  go  out  on  the  lawn  and  con 
sult  in  regard  to  the  best  place  for  having  the 
arch  made  under  which  our  bridal  party  are  to 
stand,"  Maud  said,  addressing  the  company  in 
general  as  they  left  the  table.  The  invitation 
was  accepted  and  they  spent  some  time  in  stroll 
ing  about  under  the  trees,  chatting  familiarly; 
the  principal  topic  being  the  one  proposed  by 
Mrs.  Percival,  but  considering  also  the  question 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  203 

where  it  would  be  best  to  set  the  tables  for  the 
wedding  guests. 

"It  is  likely  to  be  a  large  company,"  said 
Maud,  "  but  I  think  we  can  accommodate  them 
all  comfortably." 

"  Yes;  I  should  think  so,"  said  Grandma 
Elsie.  "  Your  lawn  is  large  and  lovely.  I  am 
rery  glad,  Dick,  that  you  secured  so  beautiful  a 
place." 

"  Thank  you,  cousin,"  he  returned,  "  I  think 
I  was  fortunate  in  getting  it;  as  Maud  does  too. 
She  likes  it  well." 

"  And  you  prefer  it  to  Viamede?  " 

"  Only  because  it  is  my  own,"  he  answered 
with  a  smile.  "  One  could  not  find  a  lorelier 
place  than  Viamede." 

"  But  you  lost  the  housekeeping  of  your 
cousin  Virginia  by  making  the  change,"  Har 
old  observed  with  a  humorous  look. 

"  Hardly!  "  laughed  Dick;  "  she  was  that  but 
in  name.  And  the  change  to  Isa's  housekeep 
ing  and  companionship  must  be  rather  agree 
able  to  her,  I  should  think." 

"  She  seems  to  me  much  the  more  agreeable 
of  the  two,"  said  Harold. 


204  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

"  Yes;  Isa  is  a  lovely  woman.  And  Virginia 
has  her  good  qualities,  too." 

As  Torriswood  was  but  little  farther  from  the 
bayou  than  Viamede,  it  was  presently  decided 
by  the  young  people  that  they  would  return  by 
boat,  and  upon  starting  they  found  it  so  pleas 
ant  that  they  took  a  much  longer  sail,  reaching 
their  destination  barely  in  time  for  dinner. 

"  Does  Sidney's  evident  happiness  in  the  near 
approach  of  her  marriage  make  my  little  girl 
unhappy  and  discontented  with  her  father's  de 
cision  in  regard  to  hers?  "  asked  Captain  Ray 
mond,  when  Lucilla  came  to  him  for  the  usual 
bit  of  good-night  chat. 

"  Oh,  no,  papa;  no  indeed! "  she  exclaimed 
with  a  low,  happy  laugh.  "Have  you  for 
gotten,  or  don't  you  know  yet,  how  dearly  that 
same  little  girl  loves  to  be  with  you?  " 

"  Really,  I  believe  she  does,"  he  said,  caress 
ing  her  with  tenderness,  "  and  though  it  is  un 
deniably  partly  for  his  own — her  father's — sake, 
that  he  insists  upon  delay,  it  is  still  more 
for  yours — believing  as  he  does  that  you  are  yet 
much  too  young  for  the  cares  and  duties  of 
married  life.  I  want  you  to  hare  a  good  play- 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  205- 

day  before  going  into  them,"  he  added,  with 
another  caress. 

"  You  dear,  kind  father! "  she  said  in  re 
sponse.  "  I  could  wish  to  be  always  a  child  if 
so  I  might  be  always  with  you." 

"  Well,  daughter,  we  may  hope  for  many 
years  together  in  this  world  and  a  blessed 
eternity  together  in  heaven." 

"  Yes,  papa,  there  is  great  happiness  in  that 
thought.  Oh,  I  am  glad  and  thankful  that 
God  gave  me  a  Christian  father." 

"And  I  that  I  have  every  reason  to  believe 
that  my  dear  eldest  daughter  has  learned  to- 
know  and  love  him.  To  belong  to  Christ  is 
better  than  to  have  the  wealth  of  the  world. 
Eiches  take  to  themselves  wings  and  fly  away; 
but  he  has  said,  'I  will  never  leave  thee,  nor 
forsake  thee/  * 

"  Such  a  sweet,  precious  promise,  father! " 

"  Yes;  it  may  well  relieve  us  from  care  and 
anxiety  about  the  future;  especially  as  taken  in 
connection  with  that  other  precious  promise/ 
'  As  thy  days,  so  shall  thy  strength  be.'  " 

"Don't  you  think,  papa,  that  if  we  always 
remembered  and  fully  believed  the  promises  of 


206  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

God's  word  we  might — we  should  be  happy 
under  all  circumstances?  " 

"I  do  indeed,"  he  said  emphatically.  "We 
all  need  to  pray  as  the  disciples  did,  '  Lord  in 
crease  our  faith/  for  '  without  faith  it  is  im 
possible  to  please  him.' " 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE  next  three  weeks  passed  very  delight 
fully  to  our  friends  at  Viamede.  There  were 
rides,  drives,  boating,  and  fishing  excursions, 
not  to  speak  of  rambles  through  the  woods  and 
fields  and  quiet  home  pleasures.  Also  the  ap 
proaching  wedding  and  the  preparations  for  it 
greatly  interested  them  all,  especially  the  young 
girls.  It  was  pleasantly  exciting  to  watch  the 
making  of  the  bride's  dresses  and  of  their  own, 
intended  to  be  worn  on  that  important  occasion. 
Besides,  after  a  little  there  were  various  arrivals 
of  relations  and  friends  to  whom  invitations  had 
been  sent:  the  whole  families  from  Riverside, 
Ion,  Fairview,  the  Oaks,  the  Laurels,  Beech- 
wood,  and  Roselands. 

Herbert  Travilla  would  have  denied  himself 
the  pleasure  of  the  trip  in  order  that  Dr.  Arthur 
Conly  might  take  a  much-needed  rest,  but  it 
was  finally  decided  that  both  might  venture  to 

207 


208  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

absent  themselves  from  their  practice  for  a 
short  season. 

All  Grandma  Elsie's  children  and  grandchil 
dren  were  taken  in  at  Viamede,  making  the 
house  very  full,  and  the  rest  were  accommo 
dated  with  the  other  relatives  at  the  Parson 
age,  Magnolia  Hall,  and  Torriswood;  in  which 
last-named  place  the  family  from  the  Oaks  were 
domiciled.  It  was  not  until  a  very  few  days 
before  that  appointed  for  the  wedding  that  the 
last  of  the  relatives  from  a  distance  arrived. 

To  the  extreme  satisfaction  of  all  concerned 
the  wedding  day  dawned  bright  and  beautiful — 
not  a  cloud  in  the  sky.  The  ceremony  was  to 
be  at  noon,  and  the  guests  came  pouring  in 
shortly  before  that  hour. 

The  grounds  were  looking  their  loveliest — 
the  grass  like  emerald  velvet  bespangled  with 
fragrant  flowers  of  every  hue,  the  trees  laden 
with  foliage,  some  of  them — the  oranges  and 
magnolias  in  particular — bearing  blossoms;  the 
former  their  green  and  golden  fruit  also. 
Under  these  an  arch,  covered  with  smilax,  had 
been  erected,  and  from  its  centre  hung  a  large 
bell  formed  of  the  lovely  and  fragrant  orange 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  209 

blossoms;  the  clapper  made  of  crimson  roses. 
Under  that  the  bridal  party  presently  took  their 
stand. 

First  came  the  three  little  flower  girls — 
Elsie  Dinsmore,  Elsie  Raymond,  and  Elsie  Em 
bury — dressed  in  white  silk  mull,  and  each  car 
rying  a  basket  of  white  roses;  then  the  brides 
maids  and  groomsmen — Frank  Dinsmore  with 
Corinne  Embury,  Harold  Travilla  with  Grace 
Raymond,  Herbert  Travilla  and  Mary  Embury 
— the  girls  all  dressed  in  white  and  carrying 
bouquets  of  smilax  and  white  flowers. 

Max  had  declined  to  serve  on  hearing  that 
Eva  could  not  serve  with  him  on  account  of 
being  still  in  mourning  for  her  mother. 

Lastly  came  the  bride  and  groom,  Sidney 
looking  very  charming  in  a  white  silk  trimmed 
with  abundance  of  costly  lace,  wearing  a  beauti 
ful  bridal  veil  and  wreath  of  fresh  and  fragrant 
orange  blossoms,  and  carrying  a  bouquet  of  the 
same  in  her  hand. 

The  party  stood  underneath  the  arch,  the 
bride  and  groom  directly  beneath  the  bell  in  its 
centre,  while  the  guests  gathered  about  them, 
the  nearest  relatives  taking  the  nearest  stations. 


210  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

Mr.  Cyril  Keith  was  the  officiating  minister. 
It  was  a  pretty  ceremony,  but  short,  and  then 
the  congratulations  and  good  wishes  began. 

Those  over,  the  guests  were  invited  to  seat 
themselves  about  a  number  of  tables  scattered 
here  and  there  under  the  trees  and  loaded  with 
tempting  viands.  The  minister  craved  a  bless 
ing  upon  the  food  and  the  feast  began. 

An  effort  had  been  made  to  some  extent  so  to 
seat  the  guests  that  relatives  and  friends  would 
be  near  each  other.  The  entire  bridal  party 
was  at  one  table,  the  other  young  people  of  the 
connection  were  pretty  close  at  hand — the  older 
ones  and  their  children  not  much  farther  off. 

Everybody  had  been  helped  and  cheery  chat, 
mingled  with  some  mirth,  was  going  on,  when 
suddenly  a  shrill  voice,  that  seemed  to  come 
from  the  branches  overhead,  cried  out,  "  "What 
you  'bout,  all  you  folks?  Polly  wants  some 
breakfast." 

Everybody  started  and  looked  up  into  the 
tree  from  which  the  sounds  had  seemed  to 
come;  but  no  parrot  was  visible  there. 

"Why,  where  is  the  bird?"  asked  several 
voices  in  tones  of  surprise.  But  hardly  had  the 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  211 

question  been  asked  when  another  parrot 
eeemed  to  speak  from  a  table  near  that  at  which 
the  bridal  party  sat.  "Polly's  hungry.  Poor 
old  Polly — poor  old  soul!" 

"Is  that  so,  Polly?  Then  just  help  your 
self,"  said  Dr.  Percival. 

"  Polly  wants  her  coffee.  Poor  old  Polly, 
poor  old  soul! "  came  in  reply,  sounding  as  if 
the  bird  had  gone  farther  down  the  table. 

Then  a  whistle  was  heard  that  seemed  to 
come  from  some  distance  among  the  trees,  and 
hardly  had  it  ceased  when  there  was  a  loud  call, 
"  Come  on,  my  merry  men,  and  let  us  get  our 
share  of  this  grand  wedding  feast." 

"  Tramps  about!  and  bold  ones  they  must 
be!  "  exclaimed  one  of  the  neighborhood  guests. 

"  Really  I  hope  they  are  not  going  to  make 
any  trouble!  "  cried  another.  "  I  fear  we  have 
no  weapons  of  defence  among  us;  and  if  we  had 
I  for  one  would  be  loath  to  turn  a  wedding 
feast  into  a  fight." 

"  Hark!  hark! "  cried  another  as  the  notes  of 
a  bugle  came  floating  on  the  breeze,  the  next 
minute  accompanied  by  what  seemed  to  be  the 
sound  of  a  drum  and  fife  playing  a  national  air, 


212  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

""what,  what  can  it  mean?  I  have  heard  of 
no  troops  in  this  neighborhood.  But  that's 
martial  music,  and  now,"  as  another  sound  met 
the  ear,  "  don't  you  hear  the  tramp,  tramp?  " 

"  Yes,  yes,  it  certainly  must  be  troops.  But 
who  or  what  can  have  called  them  out?  "  asked 
&  third  guest,  starting  to  his  feet  as  if  con 
templating  rushing  away  to  try  to  catch  a 
glimpse  of  the  approaching  soldiers. 

"  Oh,  sit  down  and  let  us  go  on  with  our 
breakfast,"  expostulated  still  another.  "  Of 
course  they  are  American  troops  on  some  tri 
fling  errand  in  the  neighborhood  and  not  going 
to  interfere  with  us.  There!  the  music  has 
stopped  and  I  don't  hear  their  tramp  either. 
Dr.  Percival,"  turning  in  his  host's  direction 
and  raising  his  voice,  "  can  you  account  for 
that  martial  music  playing  a  moment  since?  " 

"  I  haven't  heard  of  any  troops  about,  but 
am  quite  sure  they  will  not  interfere  with  us," 
returned  the  doctor.  "Please,  friends,  don't 
let  it  disturb  you  at  all."  Little  Ned  Kaymond 
was  looking  and  listening  in  an  ecstasy  of  de 
light. 

"  Oh,  Cousin  Ronald  and  brother  Max,  do 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  213 

some  more! "  he  entreated  in  a  subdued,  but 
urgent  tone.  "  Folks  do  believe  it's  real  sol 
diers  and  it's  such  fun  to  see  how  they  look  and 
talk  about  it." 

The  martial  music  and  the  tramp,  tramp  be 
gan  again  and  seemed  to  draw  nearer  and 
nearer,  and  several  dogs  belonging  on  the  place 
rushed  away  in  that  direction,  barking  furi 
ously. 

It  seemed  to  excite  and  disturb  many  of  the 
guests,  and  Violet  said,  "  There,  my  little  son, 
I  think  that  ought  to  satisfy  you  for  the 
present.  Let  our  gentlemen  and  everybody 
else  have  their  breakfast  in  peace." 

"  Good  advice,  Cousin  Vi,"  said  Mr.  Lilburn, 
<e  and  the  bit  laddie  may  get  his  fill  of  such  fun 
at  another  time." 

"Keally  I  don't  understand  this  at  all,"  re 
marked  a  lady  seated  at  the  same  table  with  the 
gentleman  who  had  called  to  Dr.  Percival; 
"  that  martial  music  has  ceased  with  great  sud 
denness,  and  I  no  longer  hear  the  tramp,  tramp 
of  the  troops." 

"  I  begin  to  have  a  very  strong  suspicion  that 
ventriloquism  is  responsible  for  it  all,"  returned 


214  ELSIE  IN  TEE  SOUTH. 

the  gentleman  with  a  smile.  "  Did  you  not 
hear  at  the  time  of  the  marriage  of  Dr.  John 
son's  sister  that  a  ventriloquist  was  present  and 
made  rare  sport  for  the  guests?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  think  I  did  and  that  he  was  one 
of  the  relatives.  I  presume  he  is  here  now  and 
responsible  for  these  strange  sounds.  But," 
she  added  thoughtfully,  "  there  are  several 
sounds  going  on  at  once;  could  he  make  them 
all,  do  you  think?" 

"  Perhaps  the  talent  runs  in  the  family  and 
there  is  more  than  one  here  possessing  it." 

"  Ah,  yes,  that  must  be  it,"  remarked  another 
guest,  nodding  wisely.  "  I  presume  it  is  in  the 
family,  and  what  sport  it  must  make  for 
them." 

"  But  what  has  become  of  those  tramps — tho 
merry  men  who  were  going  to  claim  a  share  of 
this  feast?  "  queried  a  young  girl  seated  at  the 
same  table. 

"  Perhaps  they  have  joined  the  troops," 
laughed  another.  "  But  hark!  they  are  at  it 
again,"  as  a  shrill  whistle  once  more  came  float 
ing  on  the  breeze  from  the  same  direction  as 
before,  followed  by  the  words,  "  Come  on,  my 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH  215 

merry  men;  let  us  make  haste  ere  all  the  best 
of  the  viands  have  disappeared  down  the  throats 
of  the  fellows  already  there." 

Mr.  Hugh  Lilburn  had  overheard  the  chat 
about  the  neighboring  table  and  thought  best 
to  gratify  the  desire  to  hear  further  from  the 
merry  men  of  the  wood. 

A  good  many  eyes  were  turned  in  the  direc 
tion  of  the  sounds,  but  none  could  see  even  one 
of  the  merry  men  so  loudly  summoned  to  make 
a  raid  upon  the  feasting  company. 

Then  another  voice  seemed  to  reply  from  the 
same  quarter  as  the  first. 

"  The  days  of  Robin  Hood  and  his  merry  men 
are  over  lang  syne;  and  this  is  no'  the  country 
for  ony  sic  doin's.  If  we  want  a  share  o'  the 
grand  feast  we  maun  ask  it  like  decent,  honest 
folk,  tendering  payment  if  that  wad  no'  be  con 
sidered  an  insult  by  the  host  an'  hostess." 

At  that  Dr.  Percival  laughed  and  called  out 
in  a  tone  of  amusement,  "Come  on,  friends,  and 
let  me  help  you  to  a  share  of  the  eatables;  we 
have  enough  and  to  spare,  and  you  will  be 
heartily  welcome." 

"  Thanks,  sir,"  said  the  voice;  "  perhaps  we 


216  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

may  accept  when  your  invited  guests  have 
eaten  their  fill  and  departed." 

"Very  well;  manage  it  to  suit  yourselves/' 
laughed  the  doctor. 

Then  another  voice  from  the  wood  said, 
"  Well,  comrades,  let  us  sit  down  here  under  the 
trees  and  wait  for  our  turn." 

All  this  had  caused  quite  an  excitement  and 
a  great  buzz  of  talk  among  the  comparatively 
stranger  guests;  yet  they  seemed  to  enjoy  the 
dainty  fare  provided  and  ate  heartily  of  it  as 
they  talked,  listening,  too,  for  a  renewal  of  the 
efforts  of  the  ventriloquists. 

But  the  latter  refrained  from  any  further 
exercise  of  their  skill,  as  the  time  was  drawing 
near  when  the  bride  and  groom  were  to  set  out 
upon  their  bridal  trip.  They  and  their  prin 
cipal  attendants  repaired  to  the  house,  where 
the  bride  exchanged  her  wedding  gown  for  a 
very  pretty  and  becoming  travelling  dress,  her 
bridesmaids  and  intimate  girl  friends  assisting 
her.  Her  toilet  finished,  they  all  ran  down  into 
the  lower  hall — already  almost  crowded  with 
other  guests — and,  laughing  and  excited,  stood 
awaiting  her  appearance  at  the  head  of  the 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  217 

stairway.  She  was  there  in  a  moment — her 
bouquet  of  orange  blossoms  in  her  hand. 

The  hands  of  the  laughing  young  girls  were 
instantly  extended  toward  her  and  she  threw 
the  bouquet,  saying  merrily: 

"  Catch  it  who  can,  and  you  will  be  the  first 
to  follow  me  into  wedded  happiness." 

It  so  happened  that  Evelyn  Leland  and  Lu- 
cilla  Raymond  stood  so  near  together  that  their 
hands  almost  touched  and  that  the  bouquet  fell 
to  both — each  catching  it  with  one  hand. 
Their  success  was  hailed  by  a  peal  of  laughter 
from  all  present,  Chester  Dinsmore  and  Max 
Eaymond  particularly  seeming  to  enjoy  the 
sport. 

The  bride  came  tripping  down  the  stairway, 
closely  followed  by  her  groom,  and  the  adieus 
began;  not  especially  sad  ones,  as  so  many  of  the 
near  and  dear  relatives  left  behind  expected  to 
see  them  again  ere  many  weeks  should  pass — 
and  quite  a  goodly  number  followed  them  down 
to  the  edge  of  the  bayou,  where  lay  the  boat 
that  was  to  carry  them  over  the  first  part  of 
their  wedding  journey.  They  stepped  aboard 
amid  showers  of  rice,  accompanied  by  an  old 


218  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

shoe  or  tAvo,  merry  laughter,  and  many  good 
wishes  for  a  happy  and  prosperous  trip;  and  as 
they  seated  themselves,  a  beautiful  horseshoe 
formed  of  lovely  orange  blossoms  fell  into  the 
bride's  lap. 

The  little  vessel  was  bountifully  adorned 
with  flags  of  various  sizes — by  the  previous  ar 
rangement  of  Dr.  Percival,  who  knew  them 
both  to  be  devoted  admirers  of  the  flag  of  our 
Union — and  as  the  vessel  moved  away  there 
came  again  from  among  the  trees  at  a  little  dis 
tance,  the  sound  of  a  bugle,  the  drum  and  the 
fife  playing  the  "  Star-Spangled  Banner,"  than 
which  nothing  could  have  been  more  appro 
priate. 

As  the  boat  disappeared  and  the  music  died 
away  something  of  a  lonely  feeling  came  over 
many  of  those  left  behind,  and  the  guests  not 
related  began  to  make  their  adieus  and  depart 
to  their  homes.  But  the  relatives  tarried  some 
what  longer,  chatting  familiarly  among  them 
selves  and  re-examining  the  many  handsome 
bridal  gifts. 

"They  have  fared  well,"  said  Mrs.  Betty 
Norton,  Dr.  Robert's  sister,  "I  am  so  glad  for 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  219 

them  both.  I'm  fond  of  my  brother  Bob,  and 
well  pleased  with  the  match  he  has  made.  And 
not  less  so  with  Dick's/'  she  added,  turning 
with  a  smile  to  Maud,  who  stood  at  her  side. 

"Thank  you,  Betty,"  said  Maud.  "I  was 
well  pleased  with  the  relationship  we  held  to 
each  other  before,  and  am  glad  it  has  been  made 
nearer.  Though  at  first — when  Dick  pro 
posed — I  was  afraid  it — the  relationship — 
ought  to  be  a  bar  to  our  union.  However,  he 
said  it  was  not  near  enough  for  that,  and  as  he 
is  a  good  physician  I  supposed  he  knew — so  did 
not  say  him  nay,"  she  added,  with  a  laughing 
look  up  into  her  husband's  face  as  at  that 
moment  he  drew  near  and  stood  at  her 
side. 

"  Ah,  don't  you  wish  you  had?  "  he  returned, 
laying  a  hand  lightly  on  her  shoulder  and  giv 
ing  her  a  very  loverlike  look  and  smile. 

'"I  have  serious  objections  to  being  ques 
tioned  too  closely,"  she  said  laughingly;  "  and 
please  to  remember,  sir,  that  I  did  not  promise 
never  to  have  a  secret  from  you  even  if  you're 
my  other — and  perhaps  better  half." 

"  Oh,  I  always  understood  it  was  the  woman's 


220  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

privilege  to  be  that,"  he  laughed;  "  and  I  cer 
tainly  expect  it  of  you,  my  dear." 

"  Why,  how  absurd  in  you! "  she  exclaimed. 
"  With  such  a  husband  as  mine  it  would  be 
utterly  impossible  for  me  to  be  the  better 
half." 

"  But  it  is  quite  the  tiling  for  each  to  think 
the  other  is,"  said  Grandma  Elsie,  regarding 
them  with  an  affectionate  smile. 

"A  state  of  feeling  that  is  certain  to  make 
both  very  happy,"  remarked  Captain  Eaymond, 
who  happened  to  be  standing  near. 

"  As  you  and  I  know  by  experience,"  said 
Violet  with  a  bright  look  up  into  his  face. 

"  Yes,"  said  her  cousin  Betty,  "  and  anybody 
who  knows  you  two  as  well  as  I  do  may  see  the 
exemplification  of  that  doctrine  in  your  lives. 
I  have  always  known  that  you  were  a  decidedly 
happy  couple." 

"But  needn't  plume  yourself  very  much  on 
that  discovery,  Cousin  Betty,"  laughed  Lucilla, 
"  I  think  everybody  makes  it  who  is  with  them 
for  even  a  day  or  two." 

"  And  his  children  are  not  much,  if  at  all,  be 
hind  hie  wife  in  love  for  him,  or  behind  him  in 


ELSIE  IN  TEE  SOUTH.  221 

love  for  her,"  added  Grace,  smiling  up  into  her 
father's  face. 

"All  doing  their  best  to  fill  him  with  con 
ceit/'  he  said,  returning  the  smile,  but  with  a 
warning  shake  of  the  head.  "  Where  are  Elsie 
and  Ned?  "  he  asked,  adding,  "  It  is  about  time 
we  were  returning  home — to  Viamede." 

"  Yes,"  said  Violet,  "  we  must  hunt  them  up 
at  once." 

"  I  will  find  them,  papa  and  mamma,"  Grace 
answered,  hastening  from  the  room. 

The  children  were  playing  games  on  the 
lawn,  but  all  ceased  and  came  running  to  Grace 
as  she  stepped  out  upon  the  veranda  and  called 
in  musical  tones  to  her  little  sister  and  brother. 

"  What  is  it?"  they  asked  as  they  drew  near,. 
"  time  to  go  home?  " 

"Yes;  so  papa  and  mamma  think;  and  we 
must  always  do  what  they  say,  you  know." 

"Yes,  indeed!"  answered  Elsie,  "and  it's* 
just  a  pleasure  because  they  always  know  best 
and  are  so  kind  and  love  us  so  dearly." 

"  We've  been  having  an  elegant  time  and  it's 
just  lovely  here  at  Torriswood,"  said  little  Elsie 
Embury,  "but  as  it  is  Uncle  Dick's  place  we 


222  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

can  come  here  often;  and  besides  Viamede  is 
quite  as  pretty,  and  we  are  to  go  there  for  the 
rest  of  the  day." 

"  Oh,  yes!  aren't  you  glad?  "  responded  sev 
eral  other  young  voices. 

The  carriages  which  had  brought  them  were 
now  seen  to  be  in  preparation  to  convey  them  to 
that  desired  destination,  and  presently  one  after 
another  received  its  quota  and  departed. 

One  three-seated  vehicle  contained  Mrs.  Tra- 
villa,  her  father  and  his  wife,  Captain  and  Mrs. 
Raymond  and  their  little  boy  and  girl.  Natu 
rally  the  talk  ran  upon  the  scenes  through 
which  they  had  just  been  passing. 

"It  was  right  odd  that  Eva  and  Lu  should 
have  caught  that  bridal  bouquet  together/' 
laughed  Violet.  "  My  dear,  does  it  not  make 
you  tremble  with  apprehension  lest  those  two 
weddings  should  take  place  somewhat  sooner 
tham  you  wish?" 

"I  cannot  say  that  I  am  greatly  alarmed/' 
the  captain  returned  pleasantly.  "I  have  too 
much  confidence  in  the  affection  and  desire  to 
please  their  father  of  my  eldest  son  and  daugh 
ter,  to  greatly  fear  that  they  will  disregard  my 


ELSIE  IN  TEE  SOUTH.  223 

wishes  and  opinion  in  reference  to  that,  or  any 
thing  else  indeed." 

"  And  I  feel  very  sure  that  your  confidence  is 
not  misplaced/'  said  Mrs.  Travilla.  "Also  I 
think  you  are  wise  in  wishing  them — young  as 
they  are — to  defer  marriage  for  a  few  years." 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dinsmore  expressed  a  hearty 
agreement  in  that  opinion,  and  Violet  said  it 
was  hers  also.  "  But  I  could  see,"  she  added 
with  playful  look  and  tone,  "that  the  lovers 
were  both  pleased  and  elated.  However,  it  is 
not  supposed  to  mean  speedy  matrimony,  hut 
merely  that  they  will  he  the  first  of  those  en 
gaged  in  the  sport  to  enter  into  it." 

"Yes,"  Captain  Raymond  said  laughingly, 
"  and  I  have  known  of  one  case  in  which  the 
successful  catcher — though  the  first  of  the  com 
petitors  to  enter  into  the  bonds  of  matrimony — 
did  not  do  so  until  six  years  afterward.  Sor 
naturally,  I  am  not  greatly  alarmed." 

A  smaller  vehicle,  driving  at  some  little  dis 
tance  in  their  rear,  held  the  two  young  couples 
of  whom  they  were  speaking,  and  with  them 
also  the  episode  of  the  throwing  and  catching  of 
the  bouquet  was  the  subject  of  conversation. 


224  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

"  It  was  capitally  done,  girls,"  laughed  Max, 
*'  and  possibly  may  encourage  father  to  shorten 
our  probation — somewhat  at  least." 

"  Yes,  I  am  sure  I  wish  it  may,"  said  Chester. 
•"  I  hope  you  will  not  object,  Lu?  " 

"  I  don't  believe  it  would  make  a  particle  of 
difference  in  the  result  whether  I  did  or  not," 
she  laughed.  "  If  you  knew  father  as  well  as 
I  do  you  would  know  that  he  does  not  often  re 
treat  from  a  position  that  he  has  once  taken. 
And  he  is  not  superstitious  enough  to  pay  any 
attention  to  such  an  omen  as  we  have  had  to 
day.  Nor  would  I  wish  him  to,  as  I  have  the 
greatest  confidence  in  his  wisdom  and  his  love 
for  his  children." 

"  To  all  of  which  I  add  an  unqualified  as 
sent,"  said  Max  heartily.  "My  father's  opin 
ion  on  almost  any  subject  has  far  more  weight 
with  me  than  that  of  any  other  man." 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

VIAMEDE  presently  showed  as  beautiful  and 
festive  a  scene  as  had  Torriswood  earlier  in, 
the  day — the  velvety  grass  bespangled  with, 
sweet-scented  flowers  of  varied  hues,  the  giant 
oaks  and  magnolias,  the  orange  trees  with  their 
beautiful  glossy  leaves,  green  fruit  and  ripe,, 
lovely  blossoms;  also  many  flags  floating  here 
and  there  from  upper  windows,  verandas,  and 
tree  tops.  There  were  not  a  few  exclamations 
of  admiration  and  delight  from  the  young 
people  and  children  as  carriage  after  carriage 
drove  up  and  deposited  its  living  load. 

A  very  gay  and  mirthful  time  followed; 
sports  begun  at  Torriswood  were  renewed  here 
with  as  much  zest  and  spirit  as  had  been  shown; 
there;  the  large  company  scattering  about  the 
extensive  grounds  and  forming  groups  engaged 
in  one  or  another  game  suited  to  the  ages  and 
capacity  of  its  members.  But  some  preferred 
strolling  here  and  there  through  the  alleys  and 

225 


226  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

groves,  engaging  in  nothing  more  exciting  tr 
wearying  than  sprightly  chat  and  laughter, 
while  the  older  ladies  and  gentlemen — among 
them  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dinsmore,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Ronald  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hugh  Lilburn,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Embury,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Keith, 
Mrs.  Travilla,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Leland,  Dr. 
Arthur  Conly  and  his  Marian — gathered  in 
groups  on  the  verandas  or  the  nearer  parts  of 
the  lawn. 

Edward  Travilla  and  his  Zoe  were  down 
among  the  little  folks,  overseeing  the  sports  of 
their  own  twin  boy  and  girl  and  their  mates,  as 
were  also  Captain  Raymond  and  his  Violet,  with 
their  Elsie  and  Ned.  His  older  son  and  daugh 
ters,  with  Chester  Dinsmore  and  his  brother 
Frank,  could  be  seen  at  some  little  distance, 
occupying  rustic  seats  under  a  wide-spreading 
tree  and  seemingly  enjoying  an  animated  and 
amusing  chat.  Drs.  Harold  and  Herbert  Tra 
villa,  strolling  along  with  the  two  older  daugh 
ters  of  Mr.  Embury,  presently  joined  them,  and 
Dr.  and  Mrs.  Percival  shortly  followed,  the 
mirth  and  jollity  apparently  increasing  with 
every  addition. 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  227 

"  They  seem  to  be  very  merry  over  yonder,** 
remarked  Mrs.  Embury,  with  a  smiling  glance 
at  that  particular  group.  "  It  does  me  good  to 
see  Dick  take  a  little  relaxation — he  is  usually 
so  busy  in  the  practice  of  his  profession." 

"  Yes,"  said  Grandma  Elsie,  "  and  the  evi 
dently  strong  affection  between  him  and  Maud 
is  very  delightful  to  see." 

"  As  is  that  between  the  captain  and  Violet," 
added  her  cousin  Annis.  "  I  thought  her 
young  for  him  when  they  married,  but  I  never 
saw  a  more  attached  couple.  They  make  no 
display  of  it  before  people,  but  no  close  ob 
server  could  be  with  them  long  without  becom 
ing  convinced  of  the  fact." 

"That  is  so,  I  think,"  said  Mrs.  Leland. 
"  The  captain  is  a  fond  father,  but  he  has  told 
Vi  more  than  once  that  to  lose  her  would  be 
worse  to  him  than  being  called  to  part  with  all 
his  children." 

"  Ah,  I  hope  neither  trial  may  ever  be  ap 
pointed  him,"  said  Grandma  Elsie,  low  and 
softly,  ending  with  a  slight  sigh. 

"  And  so  Chester  and  Lucilla,  Max  and  Eva 
are  engaged,"  remarked  Mrs.  Embury  in  a  re- 


'228  ELSIE  IN  TEE  SOUTH. 

flective  tone;  "  and  so  far  as  I  know  the  entire 
connection  aeems  satisfied  with  the  arrange 
ment/' 

"I  have  yet  to  hear  of  objection  from  any 
quarter,"  Mrs.  Leland  said  with  a  smile,  "  and 
I  can  say  with  certainty  that  Lester  and  I  are 
well  satisfied,  so  far  as  our  niece  Eva  is  con 
cerned.  I  think  the  captain  is  right  and  wise 
though,  in  bidding  them  delay  marriage  for  at 
least  a  year  or  two — all  of  them  being  so 
joung." 

"  I  think,"  said  Mrs.  Arthur  Conly,  joining 
in  the  talk,  "  that  Frank  Dinsmore  is  evidently 
very  much  in  love  with  Grace." 

"  In  which  I  sincerely  hope  he  will  get  no  en 
couragement  from  the  captain,"  Dr.  Conly 
added  quickly  and  with  strong  emphasis. 
<l  Grace  is  much  too  young,  and  entirely  too 
feeble  to  safely  venture  into  wedlock  for  years 
to  come." 

"  And  I  think  you  may  safely  trust  her  father 
to  see  that  she  does  not,"  said  Grandma  Elsie. 
*'  I  am  sure  he  agrees  in  your  opinion  and  that 
Grace  is  too  good  and  obedient  a  daughter  ever 
to  go  contrary  to  his  wishes." 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  229 

Gradually,  as  the  sun  drew  near  his  setting, 
the  participants  in  the  sports  gave  them  up  and 
gathered  in  the  parlors  or  upon  the  verandas, 
most  of  them  just  about  weary  enough  with 
the  pleasant  exercise  they  had  been  taking  to 
enjoy  a  little  quiet  rest  before  being  summoned 
to  partake  of  the  grand  dinner  in  process  of 
preparation  by  Viamede's  famous  cooks. 

Lucilla  and  her  sister  Grace,  wishing  to  make 
some  slight  change  in  the  arrangement  of  hair 
or  dress,  hastened  up  the  broad  stairway  to 
gether  on  their  way  to  the  room  now  occupied 
by  Grace  and  Elsie.  In  the  upper  hall  they 
met  their  father,  coming  from  a  similar  errand 
to  his  own  apartment. 

"  Ah,  daughters,"  he  said  in  his  usual  kindly 
tones,  "we  have  had  much  less  than  usual  to 
say  to  each  other  to-day,  but  I  hope  you  have 
been  enjoying  yourselves?  "  and  as  he  spoke  he 
put  an  arm  around  each  and  drew  them  closer 
to  him. 

"  Oh,  yes,  yes,  indeed,  papa! "  both  replied, 
smilingly  and  in  mirthful  tones,  Lucilla  add 
ing,  "  Everything  seems  to  have  gone  swim 
mingly  to-day." 


230  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

"  Even  to  the  catching  of  the  bride's  bouquet, 
I  suppose/'  returned  her  father,  giving  her 
an  amused  yet  searching  and  half-inquiring 
look. 

At  that  Lucilla  laughed. 

"Yes,  papa;  wasn't  it  odd  that  Eva  and  1 
happened  to  catch  it  together?  " 

"  And  were  both  highly  elated  over  the  happy 
augury?  "  he  queried,  still  gazing  searchingly 
into  her  eyes. 

"  Hardly,  I  think,  papa;  though  Chester  and 
Max  seemed  rather  elated  by  it.  But  really,'* 
she  added  with  a  mirthful  look,  "  I  depend  far 
more  upon  my  father's  decision  than  upon 
dozens  of  such  auguries;  and  besides  am  in  no 
haste  to  leave  his  care  and  protection  or  go> 
from  under  his  authority." 

"  Spoken  like  my  own  dear  eldest  daughter," 
he  returned  with  a  gratified  look,  and  giving 
her  a  slight  caress. 

"It  would  be  strange  indeed,  if  any  one  of 
your  children  did  want  to  get  from  under  it, 
papa,"  said  Grace,  with  a  look  of  ardent  affec 
tion  up  into  his  eyes. 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  you  say  that,  daughter,'* 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  231 

he  returned  with  a  smile,  and  softly  smoothing 
the  shining,  golden  hair,  "because  it  will  be 
years  before  I  can  feel  willing  to  resign  the  care 
of  my  still  rather  feeble  little  Grace  to  another, 
or  let  her  take  up  the  burdens  and  anxieties  of 
married  life." 

"  You  may  be  perfectly  sure  I  don't  want  to, 
papa,"  she  returned  with  a  gleeful,  happy 
laugh.  "  It  is  just  a  joy  and  delight  to  me  to 
feel  that  I  belong  to  you  and  always  shall  as 
long  as  you  want  to  keep  me." 

"  Which  will  be  just  as  long  as  you  enjoy  it — 
and  we  both  live,"  he  added  a  little  more 
gravely. 

Then  releasing  them  with  an  injunction  not 
to  waste  too  much  time  over  their  toilet,  he 
passed  on  down  the  stairway  while  they  went  on 
into  their  tiring-room. 

"  Oh,  Lu,"  said  Grace  as  she  pulled  down  her 
hair  before  the  glass,  "  haven't  we  the  best  and 
dearest  father  in  the  world?  I  like  Chester 
ever  so  much,  but  I  sometimes  wonder  how  you 
•can  bear  the  very  thought  of  leaving  papa  for 
him." 

"It  does  not  aeem  an  easy  thing  to  do," 


232  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

sighed  Lucilla,  "  and  yet "  But  she  paused,, 

leaving  her  sentence  unfinished. 

"Yet  what?"  asked  Grace,  turning  an  in 
quiring  look  upon  her  sister. 

"  Well,  I  believe  I'll  tell  you,"  returned  Lu 
cilla  in  a  half-hesitating  way.  "  I  have  always 
valued  father's  love  oh,  so  highly,  and  once 
when  I  happened  accidentally  to  overhear  some 
thing  he  said  to  Mamma  Vi,  it  nearly  broke  my 
heart — for  a  while."  Her  voice  quivered  with, 
the  last  words,  and  she  seemed  unable  to  go  on 
for  emotion. 

"Why,  Lu,  what  could  it  have  been?"  ex 
claimed  Grace  in  surprise,  and  giving  her  sister 
a  look  of  mingled  love  and  compassion. 

With  an  evident  effort  Lucilla  went  on:  "  It 
was  that  she  was  dearer  to  him  than  all  his 
children  put  together — that  he  would  lose 
every  one  of  them  rather  than  part  with  her, 
It  made  me  feel  for  a  while  as  if  I  had  lost 
everything  worth  having — papa's  love  for  me 
must  be  so  very  slight.  But  after  a  long  and 
bitter  cry  over  it  I  was  comforted  by  remember 
ing  what  the  Bible  says,  l  Let  every  one  of  you 
in  particular  BO  love  his  wife  even  as  himself.* 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  233 

And  the  words  of  Jesus,  '  For  this  cause  shall 
a  man  leave  father  and  mother,  and  cleave  to 
his  wife:  and  they  twain  shall  be  one  flesh.'  So 
I  could  see  it  was  right  for  my  father  to  love  his 
wife  best  of  all  earthly  creatures — she  being  but 
a  part  of  himself — and  besides  I  could  not 
doubt  that  he  loved  me  and  each  one  of  his 
children  very,  very  dearly/' 

"  Yes,  I  am  sure  he  does,"  said  Grace,  vainly 
trying  to  speak  in  her  usual  cheery,  light- 
hearted  tones.  "  Oh,  Lu,  I  don't  wonder  you 
cried  over  it.  It  would  just  kill  me  to  think 
papa  didn't  care  very  much  about  me." 

"  Oh,  Gracie,  he  does!  I  know  he  does!  I  am 
sure  he  would  not  hesitate  a  moment  to  risk 
his  life  for  any  one  of  us." 

"  Yes,  I  am  sure  of  it!  and  what  but  his  love 
for  you  makes  him  so  unwilling  to  give  you  up 
to  Chester?  I  can  see  that  Ches  feels  it  hard 
to  wait,  but  father  certainly  has  the  best  of 
rights  to  keep  his  daughters  to  himself  as  long 
as  they  are  under  age." 

"  And  as  much  longer  as  he  chooses,  so  f  ar  aa 
I  am  concerned.  I  am  only  too  glad  that  he 
seems  so  loath  to  give  me  up.  My  dear,  dear 


234  ELSIE  IN  TEE  SOUTH. 

father!  Words  cannot  express  my  love  for  him* 
or  the  regret  I  feel  for  the  rebellious  conduct 
which  gave  him  so  much  pain  and  trouble  in 
days  long  gone  by." 

"  Dear  Ln,"  said  Grace,  "  I  am  perfectly  sure 
our  dear  father  forgave  all  that  long  ago." 

"  Yes,  but  I  can  never  forget  or  forgive  it 
myself.  Nor  can  I  forget  how  glad  and  thank 
ful  he  was  that  I  was  not  the  one  killed  by  the 
bear  out  at  Minersville,  or  his  saving  rce  that 
time  when  I  was  so  nearly  swept  into  Lake  Erie 
by  the  wind;  how  closely  he  hugged  me  to  his 
breast — a  tear  falling  on  my  head — when  he 
got  me  safely  into  the  cabin,  and  the  low- 
breathed  words,  '  Thank  God,  my  darling,  pre 
cious  child  is  safe  in  my  arms.'  Oh,  Gracie,  I 
have  seemed  to  hear  the  very  words  and  tones 
many  a  time  since.  So  I  cannot  doubt  that  he 
does  love  me  very  much;  even  if  I  am  not  so 
dear  to  him  as  his  wife  is." 

"  And  you  love  mamma,  too  ?  " 

"Yes,  indeed!  she  is  just  like  a  dear  older 
sister.  I  may  well  love  her  since  she  is  so  dear 
to  papa,  and  was  so  kind  and  forbearing  with 
me  in  those  early  years  of  her  married  life  when 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  235 

I  certainly  was  very  far  from  being  the  good 
and  lovable  child  I  ought  to  have  been.  She 
was  very  forbearing,  and  never  gave  papa  the 
slightest  hint  of  my  badness." 

"  She  has  always  been  very  good  and  kind  to 
us,"  said  Grace,  "  and  I  love  her  very  dearly." 

"  And  papa  showed  his  love  for  me  in  allow 
ing  Chester  to  offer  himself  because  he  had 
saved  my  life — for  otherwise  he  would  have  for 
bidden  it  for  at  least  another  year  or  two." 

"  Yes,  I  know,"  said  Grace.  "  We  certainly 
have  plenty  of  proofs  that  father  does  love  us 
yery  much." 

"  But  we  must  not  delay  at  this  business,  as 
he  bade  us  hasten  down  again,"  Lucilla  said, 
quickening  her  movements  as  she  spoke. 

"No;  I'm  afraid  he  is  beginning  to  wonder 
what  is  keeping  us  so  long,"  said  Grace,  follow 
ing  her  example. 

They  had  no  idea  how  their  father  was  en 
gaged  at  that  moment.  As  he  reached  the 
lower  hall  Frank  Dinsmore  stepped  forward  and 
accosted  him.  "  Can  I  have  a  moment's  chat 
with  you,  captain?  "  he  asked  in  an  undertone, 
and  with  a  slightly  embarrassed  air. 


236  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

"  Certainly,  Frank.  It  is  a  very  modest  re 
quest,"  was  the  kindly-toned  response,  "What 
can  I  do  for  you?" 

"  Very  nearly  the  same  thing  that  you  have 
eo  kindly  done  for  my  brother,  sir,"  replied  the 
young  man,  coloring  and  hesitating  somewhat 
in  hie  speech.  "I — I  am  deeply,  desperately 
in  love  with  your  daughter,  Miss  Grace,, 
and " 

"  Go  no  farther,  my  young  friend,"  inter 
rupted  the  captain  in  a  grave  though  still 
kindly  tone.  "  I  have  no  objection  to  you  per 
sonally,  but  Grace  is  entirely  too  young  and  too- 
delicate  for  her  father  to  consider  for  a  moment 
the  idea  of  allowing  her  to  think  of  such  a 
thing  as  marriage.  Understand  distinctly  that 
I  should  be  not  a  whit  more  ready  to  listen  to 
such  a  request  from  any  other  man — older  or 
younger,  richer  or  poorer." 

"  But  she  is  well  worth  waiting  for,  sir,  and 
if  you  would  only  let  me  speak  and  try  to  win 
her  affections,  I " 

"  That  must  be  waited  for,  Frank.  I  can 
not  and  will  not  have  her  approached  upon  the 
subject,"  waa  the  almost  stern  rejoinder. 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  237 

"  Promise  me  that  you  will  not  do  or  say  any 
thing  to  give  her  the  idea  that  you  want  to  be 
more  to  her  than  a  friend." 

"  That  is  a  hard  thing  you  are  requiring,  sir,"' 
sighed  Frank. 

"  But  quite  necessary  if  you  would  be  per 
mitted  to  see  much  of  Grace,"  returned  the  cap 
tain  with  great  decision.  "  And,  seeing  that 
you  feel  toward  her  as  you  have  just  told  me 
you  do,  I  think  the  less  you  see  of  each  other — 
or  hold  intercourse  together — the  better. 
Should  she  be  in  good,  firm  health  some  six  or 
eight  years  hence,  and  you  and  she  then  have  a 
fancy  for  each  other,  her  father  will  not,  prob 
ably,  raise  any  objection,  to  your  suit;  but  until1 
then  I  positively  forbid  anything  and  every 
thing  of  the  kind." 

"  I  must  say  I  find  that  a  hard  sentence,  cap 
tain,"  sighed  the  would-be  suitor.  "  It  strikes 
me  that  most  fathers  would  be  a  trifle  more 
ready  to  make  an  eligible  match  for  a  daughter 
of  Miss  Grace's  age.  She  is  very  young,  I  ac 
knowledge,  but  I  have  known  some  girls  to 
marry  even  younger.  And  you  will  not  even 
allow  her  to  enter  into  an  engagement?  " 


338  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

"No;  I  have  no  desire  to  rid  myself  of  my 
daughter;  very  far  from  it.  For  my  first  set  of 
children  I  have  a  peculiarly  tender  feeling  be 
cause — excepting  each  other — they  have  no 
very  near  relative  hut  myself.  They  were  quite 
young  when  they  lost  their  mother,  and  for 
years  I  have  felt  that  I  must  fill  to  them  the 
place  of  both  parents  as  far  as  possible,  and  have 
tried  to  do  so.  As  one  result,"  he  added  with 
his  pleasant  smile,  "I  find  that  I  am  exceed 
ingly  loath  to  give  them  up  into  any  other  care 
and  keeping." 

"  But  since  we  are  neighbors  and  distant  con 
nections,  and  my  brother  engaged  to  Miss  Lu, 
you  do  not  absolutely  forbid  me  your  house, 
captain?" 

"No;  you  may  see  Grace  in  my  presence — 
perhaps  occasionally  out  of  it — provided  you 
carefully  obey  my  injunction  to  refrain  from 
anything  like  love-making." 

"Thank  you,  sir;  I  accept  the  conditions," 
was  Frank's  response,  and  the  two  separated 
just  as  Lucilla  and  Grace  appeared  at  the  top 
of  the  stairway  near  which  they  had  been 
standing,  Frank  passing  out  to  the  veranda,  the 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  239> 

captain  moving  slowly  in  the  opposite  direc 
tion. 

"There's  father  now!"  exclaimed  Grace,  trip 
ping  down  the  stairs.  "  Papa,"  as  he  turned  at 
the  sound  of  her  voice  and  glanced  up  at  her,. 
"  I've  been  re-arranging  my  hair.  Please  tell 
me  if  you  like  it  in  this  style." 

"  Certainly,  daughter;  I  like  it  in  any  style  in 
which  I  have  ever  seen  it  arranged,"  he  re 
turned,  regarding  it  critically,  but  with  an  evi 
dently  admiring  gaze.  "  I  am  glad  and  thank 
ful  that  you  have  an  abundance  of  it — such  as 
it  is,"  he  added  sportively,  taking  her  hand  in 
his  as  she  reached  his  side.  Then  turning  to 
Lucilla,  "  And  yours,  too,  Lulu,  seems  to  be  in 
well-cared-for  condition." 

"  Thank  you,  papa  dear;  I  like  occasionally 
to  hear  you  call  me  by  that  name  so  constantly 
used  in  the  happy  days  of  my  childhood." 

"  Ah!  I  hope  that  does  not  mean  that  these 
are  not  happy  days?  "  he  said,  giving  her  a  look 
of  kind  and  fatherly  scrutiny. 

"  Oh,  no,  indeed,  father!  I  don't  believe 
there  is  a  happier  girl  than  I  in  all  this  broad 
knd." 


240  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

"  I  am  thankful  for  that,"  he  said  with  a  ten 
derly  affectionate  look  into  her  eyes  as  she  stood 
at  his  side  gazing  up  into  his;  "  for  there  is 
nothing  I  desire  more  than  the  happiness  of 
these  two  dear  daughters  of  mine." 

"  Yes,  father  dear,  we  both  know  you  would 
take  any  amount  of  trouble  for  our  pleasure  or 
profit,"  said  Grace  gayly;  "but  just  to  know 
that  we  belong  to  you  is  enough  for  us.  Isn't 
it,  Lu?" 

"And  are  so  dear  to  him,"  added  Lucilla. 
•"  I  couldn't  be  the  happy  girl  I  am  if  I  didn't 
know  thai" 

"  Never  doubt  it,  my  darlings;  never  for  a 
moment,"  he  said  in  a  moved  tone. 

"  Oh,  so  here  you  are,  girls! "  exclaimed  a 
familiar  voice  just  in  their  rear.  "  I  have  been 
all  round  the  verandas,  looking  for  you,  but  you 
seemed  to  be  lost  in  the  crowd  or  to  have  van 
ished  into  thin  air." 

"  Certainly  not  that  last,  sister  Eose," 
laughed  the  captain.  "  I  am  happy  to  say  there 
is  something  a  good  deal  more  substantial  than 
that  about  them." 

"Yes,  I  see  there  is;  they  are  both  looking 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  241 

remarkably  well.  And  now  I  hope  we  can  have 
a  good  chat.  There  has  hardly  been  an  oppor 
tunity  for  it  yet — there  being  such  a  crowd  of 
relations  and  friends,  and  such  a  commotion 
over  the  wedding — and  you  know  I  want  to> 
hear  all  about  what  you  did  and  saw  in  Florida. 
Also  to  tell  you  of  the  improvements  we  are 
talking  of  making  at  Riverside." 

"  You  will  have  hardly  time  for  a  very  long 
talk,  Rosie,"  said  her  mother,  joining  them  at 
that  moment.  "  The  call  to  dinner  will  come 
soon.  But  here  are  comfortable  chairs  and  a 
sofa  in  which  you  can  rest  and  chat  until  then." 

"  Yes,  mamma,  and  you  will  join  us,  will  you 
not?  And  you  too,  brother  Levis?  "  as  the  cap 
tain  turned  toward  the  outer  door. 

"  I  shall  be  pleased  to  do  so  if  my  company 
ie  desired,"  he  replied,  taking  a  chair  near  the 
little  group  already  seated. 

"  Of  course  it  is,  sir.  I  always  enjoyed  your 
company  even  when  you  were  my  respected  and 
revered  instructor  with  the  right  and  power  to 
punish  me  if  I  failed  in  conduct  or  recitation,"1 
returned  Rosie  in  the  bantering  tone  she  had  BO 
often  adopted  in  days  gone  by. 


242  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

"  I  am  rejoiced  to  hear  it,"  he  laughed. 

"  And  you  may  as  well  make  yourself  useful 
as  story-teller  of  all  you  folks  saw  and  did  in 
Florida,"  she  continued. 

"  Much  too  long  a  tale  for  the  few  minutes 
we  are  likely  to  be  able  to  gire  to  it  at  present/'' 
he  said.  "  Let  us  reserve  that  for  another  time 
.and  now  hear  the  story  of  your  own  prospective 
•doings  at  Riverside." 

"  Or  talk  aBout  this  morning's  wedding.  It 
was  a  pretty  one;  wasn't  it?  I  never  saw  Sid 
ney  look  so  charming  as  she  did  in  that  wedding 
gown  and  veil.  I  hope  they  will  have  as  pleas- 
-ant  a  wedding  trip  as  my  Will  and  I  had;  and  be 
as  happy  afterward  as  we  are." 

"  I  hope  so,  indeed,"  said  her  mother,  "  and 
that  their  after  life  may  be  a  happy  and  pros 
perous  one." 

"  Yes,  mamma,  I  join  you  in  thai  And,  Lu, 
how  soon  do  you  expect  to  follow  suit  and  give 
her  the  right  to  call  you  sister?  " 

"When  my  father  bids  me;  not  a  moment 
sooner,"  replied  Lucilla,  turning  an  affectiou- 
ately  smiling  look  upon  him. 

He  returned  it,  saying,  "  Which  will  not  be 


ELSIE  IN  THB  SOUTH.  24 3 

for  many  months  to  come.  He  is  far  from  feel 
ing  ready  yet  to  resign  even  one  of  his  heart's 
best  treasures." 

"  Oh,  it  is  a  joy  to  have  you  call  me  that,, 
papa! "  she  exclaimed  low  and  feelingly. 

They  chatted  on  for  a  few  minutes  longer, 
when  they  were  interrupted  by  the  call  to  the 
dinner  table.  A  very  welcome  one,  for  the 
sports  had  given  good  appetites  and  the  viands 
were  toothsome  and  delicious.  The  meal  was 
not  eaten  in  haste  or  silence,  but  amid  cheerful, 
mirthful  chat  and  low-toned,  musical  laughter, 
and  with  its  numerous  courses  occupied  more 
than  an  hour. 

On  leaving  the  banqueting  room  they  again 
scattered  about  the  parlors,  verandas,  and 
grounds,  resuming  the  intimate  and  friendly 
intercourse  held  there  before  the  summons  t* 
their  feast. 

Captain  Raymond  had  kept  a  watchful  eye 
upon  his  daughters — Grace  in  especial — and 
now  took  pains  to  seat  her  near  himself  on  the 
veranda,  saying,  "I  want  you  to  rest  here  a 
while,  daughter,  for  I  see  you  are  looking 
weary;  which  is  not  strange,  considering  how 


244  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

much  more  than  your  usual  amount  of  exercise 
you  have  already  taken  to-day." 

"Yes,  I  am  a  little  tired,  papa,"  she  an 
swered,  with  a  loving  smile  up  into  his  eyes  as 
she  sank  somewhat  wearily  into  the  chair,  "  and 
it  is  very,  very  pleasant  to  have  you  so  kindly 
careful  of  me." 

"Ah!"  he  returned,  patting  her  cheek  and 
smiling  affectionately  upon  her,  "it  behooves 
everyone  to  be  careful  of  his  own  particular 
treasures." 

"  And  our  dear  Gracie  is  certainly  one  of 
those,"  said  Violet,  coming  to  the  other  side  of 
the  young  girl  and  looking  down  a  little  anx 
iously  into  the  sweet,  fair  face.  "  Are  you  very 
weary,  dearest?  " 

"  Oh,  not  so  very,  mamma  dear,"  she  an 
swered  blithely.  "  This  is  a  delightful  chair 
papa  has  put  me  into,  and  a  little  rest  in  it, 
while  digesting  the  good  hearty  meal  I  have  just 
eaten,  will  make  me  all  right  again,  I  think." 

"  Won't  you  take  this  other  one  by  her  side, 
my  love?  I  think  you  too  need  a  little  rest," 
said  the  captain  gallantly. 

"  Thank  you,  I  will  if  you  will  occupy  that 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  245 

one  on.  her  other  side,  so  that  we  will  have  her 
between  us.  And  here  come  Lu  and  Rosie,  so 
that  we  can  perhaps  finish  the  chat  she  tells  me 
she  was  holding  with  you  and  the  girls  before 
the  call  to  dinner." 

"I  don't  believe  we  can,  mamma,"  laughed 
•Grace,  "  for  here  come  Will  Croly  and  Chester 
to  take  possession  of  them;  Eva  and  Max  too, 
and  Frank." 

"  Then  we  will  just  defer  it  until  another 
time,"  said  Violet.  "  Those  who  have  children 
will  soon  be  leaving  for  their  homes  and  those 
left  behind  will  form  a  smaller,  quieter  party." 

Violet's  surmises  proved  correct,  those  with 
young  children  presently  taking  their  depart 
ure  in  order  that  the  little  ones  might  seek  their 
nests  for  the  night. 

The  air  began  to  grow  cool  and  the  family 
and  remaining  guests  found  it  now  pleasanter 
within  doors  than  upon  the  verandas.  Music 
and  conversation  made  the  time  pass  rapidly,  a 
light  tea  was  served,  Mr.  Dinsmore — Mrs.  Tra- 
villa's  father — read  a  portion  of  Scripture  and 
led  in  a  short  prayer,  a  little  chat  followed,  and 
the  remaining  guests  bade  adieu  for  the  present 


246  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH: 

and  went  their  ways;  Maud's  two  brothers  and 
the  Dinsmores  from  the  Oaks  among  them. 

"  Now,  Grace,  my  child,  linger  not  a  moment 
longer,  but  get  to  bed  as  fast  as  you  can,"  said 
Captain  Raymond  to  his  second  daughter  as 
they  stood  upon  the  veranda,  looking  after  the 
departing  guests.  His  tone  was  tenderly  affec 
tionate  and  he  gave  her  a  good-night  caress  as- 
he  spoke. 

"I  will,  father  dear,"  she  answered  cheer 
fully  and  made  haste  to  do  his  bidding. 

"  She  is  looking  very  weary.  I  fear  I  have 
let  her  exert  herself  to-day  far  more  than  was 
for  her  good,"  he  remarked  somewhat  anxiously 
to  his  wife  and  Lucilla  standing  near. 

"  But  I  hope  a  good  night's  rest  will  make  it 
all  right  with  her,"  Violet  returned  in  a  cheery 
tone,  adding  playfully,  "  and  we  certainly  have 
plenty  of  doctors  at  hand,  if  anything  should  go 
wrong  with  her  or  any  of  us." 

"  Excellent  ones,  too,"  said  Lucilla;  "  but  I 
hope  and  really  expect  that  a  good  night's  rest 
will  quite  restore  her  to  her  usual  health  and 
strength.  So,  father,  don't  feel  anxious  and 
troubled." 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  247 

"I  shall  endeavor  not  to,  my  wise  young 
mentor,"  he  returned  with  a  slight  laugh,  lay 
ing  a  hand  lightly  upon  her  shoulder  as  he 
spoke, 

"  Oh,  papa,  please  excuse  me  if  I  seemed  to 
be  trying  to  teach  you! "  she  exclaimed  in  a 
tone  of  penitence.  "  I'm  afraid  it  sounded  very 
conceited  and  disrespectful." 

"If  it  did  it  was  not,  I  am  sure,  so  in 
tended,  so  I  shall  not  punish  you  this  time," 
he  replied  in  a  tone  which  puzzled  her  with 
the  question  whether  he  were  jesting  or  in 
earnest. 

"I  hope  you  will  if  you  think  I  deserve  it, 
father,"  she  said  low  and  humbly,  Violet  hav 
ing  left  them  and  gone  within  doors,  and  no 
one  else  being  near  enough  to  overhear  her 
words. 

At  that  he  put  his  arm  about  her  and  drew 
her  closer.  "I  but  jested,  daughter,"  he  said  in 
tender  tones,  "and  am  not  in  the  least  dis 
pleased  with  you.  So  your  only  punishment 
shall  be  an  order  presently  to  go  directly  to  your 
room  and  prepare  for  bed.  But  first  let  us  have 
our  usual  bit  of  bedtime  chat,  which  I  believe 


248  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

I  enjoy  as  fully  as  does  my  little  girl  her 
self." 

"  Oh,  father,  how  kind  in  you  to  say  that! "" 
she  exclaimed  in  low,  but  joyous  tones.  "  I  do- 
dearly  love  to  make  you  my  confidant — you  are 
so  wise  and  kind  and  I  am  so  sure  that  you  love 
me  dearly,  as  your  very  own  God-given  prop 
erty.  Am  I  not  that  still  as  truly  as  I  ever 
was?" 

"  Indeed  you  are!  as  truly  now  as  when  yon 
were  a  babe  in  arms,"  he  said,  with  a  happy 
laugh  and  drawing  her  closer  to  his  heart.  "  A 
treasure  that  no  amount  of  money  could  buy 
from  me.  Your  price  is  above  rubies,  my  own 
darling." 

"What  sweet  words,  papa!"  she  exclaimed 
with  a  happy  sigh.  "  But  sometimes  when  I 
think  of  all  my  past  naughtiness — giving  you 
so  much  pain  and  trouble — I  wonder  that  you 
can  love  me  half  so  well  as  you  do." 

"  Dear  child,  I  think  I  never  loved  you  the 
less  because  of  all  that,  nor  you  me  less  because 
of  the  severity  of  my  discipline." 

"  Papa,  I  believe  I  always  loved  you  better 
for  your  strictness  and  severity.  You  made  it 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  249 

so  clear  to  me  that  it  was  done  for  my  best  good 
and  that  it  hurt  you  when  you  felt  it  your  duty 
to  give  me  pain." 

"It  did  indeed!"  he  said;  "but  for  a  long 
time  now  my  eldest  daughter  has  been  to  me 
only  a  joy,  a  comfort,  a  delight — so  that  I  can 
ill  bear  the  thought  of  resigning  her  to  an 
other." 

"Ah,  father,  what  aweet,  sweet  words  to 
hear  from  your  lips!  they  make  me  so  glad,  so 
happy." 

"  Pleasant  words  those  for  me  to  hear,  and  a 
pleasant  thought  that  my  dear  eldest  daughter 
is  not  in  haste  to  leave  my  protecting  care  for 
that  of  another.  I  trust  Chester  is  inclined  to 
wait  patiently  until  the  right  time  comes?  " 

"  He  has  made  it  evident  to  me  that  he  would 
much  rather  shorten  the  time  of  waiting  if 
there  were  a  possibility  of  gaining  my  father's 
consent." 

"  But  that  there  is  not,"  the  captain  replied 
with  decision.  "  If  I  should  consider  only  my 
own  feeling  and  inclination  and  my  belief  as  to 
what  would  be  really  best  for  you,  I  should  cer 
tainly  keep  full  possession  of  my  eldest  daugh- 


250  ELSIE  IN  TEE  SOUTH. 

ter  for  several  years  to  come.  I  have  had  a 
talk  with  Dr.  Conly  on  the  subject,  and  he,  as  a 
physician,  tells  me  it  would  be  far  better  in 
most  cases,  for  a  girl  to  remain  single  until  well 
on  toward  twenty-five." 

"  Which  would  make  her  quite  an  old  maid, 
I  should  think,  papa,"  laughed  Lucilla.  "  Yet 
if  you  bid  me  wait  that  long  and  can  make 
Chester  content — I'll  not  be  at  all  rebellious." 

"  No,  I  don't  believe  you  would;  but  I  have 
really  no  idea  of  trying  you  so  far.  By  the 
way,  Rosie  and  her  Will,  Maud  and  Dick  seem 
two  very  happy  couples." 

"  Yes,  indeed,  father;  it  is  a  pleasure  to  watch 
them.  And  do  you  know  I  think  Frank  Dins- 
more  is  casting  longing  eyes  at  our  Grace." 

"  But  you  don't  think  the  dear  child  cares  at 
aJlforhim?" 

"  Oh,  no,  sir!  no,  indeed!  Grace  doesn't  care 
in  the  least  for  beaux,  and  loves  no  other  man 
half  so  well  as  she  does  her  father  and  mine." 

"  Just  as  I  thought;  but  I  want  you  quietly  to 
help  me  prevent  any  private  interviews  be 
tween  them — lest  she  might  learn  to  care  for 
him." 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  251 

"  Thank  you  for  trusting  me,  papa;  I  will  do 
xny  best,"  she  responded. 

Then  they  bade  good-night  and  Lucilla  went 
to  her  room.  She  found  Eva  there  and  they 
chatted  pleasantly  together  as  they  prepared  for 
bed.  Eva  had  noticed  Frank's  evident  devo 
tion  to  Grace  and  spoke  of  it,  adding,  "  It  is  a 
pity,  for  of  course  your  father — I  had  very 
nearly  said  father,  for  I  begin  to  feel  as  if  I 
belonged  in  his  flock — considering  us  older  ones 
too  young  to  marry,  will  say  she  is  very  far  from 
being  old  enough  for  loverlike  attentions." 

"  Yes,  he  does,"  replied  Lucilla,  "  and  I  want 
your  help  in  a  task  he  has  set  me — the  endeavor 
to  keep  them  from  being  alone  together." 

"I'll  do  so  with  pleasure,"  laughed  Evelyn, 
•"  and  I  think  probably  it  would  be  just  as  well 
to  take  Grace  herself  into  the  plot,  for  I'm  very 
.sure  she  doesn't  care  a  pin  for  Frank,  but  dotes 
upon  her  father." 


CHAPTER  XV. 

THE  ladies  of  the  Torriswood  party  retired 
for  the  night  almost  immediately  on  their  ar 
rival  there,  but  the  gentlemen  lingered  a  little 
in  the  room  used  by  Dr.  Percival  as  his  office. 
There  was  some  cheerful  chat  over  the  events' 
of  the  day  in  which,  however,  Frank  Dinsmore- 
took  no  part.  He  sat  in  moody  silence,  seem 
ing  scarcely  to  hear  what  the  others  were  saying. 

"What's  the  matter  with  you,  Frank?" 
queried  the  doctor  at  length.  "  Didn't  things 
go  off  to  suit  you  to-day?  " 

"Well  enough,"  grumbled  Frank,  "except 
that  I  don't  seem  to  be  considered  as  worthy  as- 
my  brother  is  of  being  taken  into — a  certain 
family  really  no  better  than  my  own,  unless  as 
regards  wealth." 

"  Oh,  ho!  so  that's  the  way  the  land  lies!  It's 
Grace  Eaymond  you're  after,  eh?  And  she 
won't  consent?  " 

852 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  253 

"  Her  father  won't.  I  must  not  say  a  word 
to  her  on  the  subject." 

"  And  he  is  right,  Frank/'  returned  the  doc 
tor  gravely.  "  She  is  far  too  young  and  too 
delicate  to  begin  with  such  things.  Art  would 
tell  you  that  in  a  moment  if  you  should  ask 
him.  My  opinion  as  a  physician  is  that  mar 
riage  now  would  be  likely  to  kill  her  within  a 
year;  or,  if  she  lived,  make  her  an  invalid  for 
life." 

"  I'd  be  willing  to  let  marriage  wait  if  I 
might  only  speak  and  win  her  promise;  but  no, 
I'm  positively  forbidden  to  say  a  word." 

"  You  would  gain  nothing  by  it  if  you  did," 
said  Chester.  "  She  is  devoted  to  her  father 
and  hasn't  the  least  idea  of  falling  in  love  with 
any  other  man." 

"Kidiculous!"  growled  Frank.  "Well, 
things  being  as  they  are,  I'll  not  tarry  long  in 
this  part  of  the  country.  I'll  go  back  and  at 
tend  to  the  business  of  our  clients,  and  you, 
Chester,  can  stay  on  here  with  your  fiancee  and 
her  family,  and  perhaps  gather  up  a  larger 
amount  of  health  and  strength." 

"  Don't   be   in   a  hurry   about  leaving  us, 


254  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

Frank/'  said  Dick  cordially.  "  Maud  has  been 
calculating  on  at  least  a  few  days  more  of  your 
good  company;  and  there's  no  telling  when  you 
may  find  it  convenient  to  pay  us  another  visit." 

"  Thanks,  Dick;  you  are  hospitality  itself; 
and  this  is  a  lovely  home  you  have  secured,  for 
yourself  and  Maud.  I'll  sleep  on  the  question 
of  the  time  of  departure.  And  now  good-night 
and  pleasant  dreams.  I  hope  none  of  your  pa 
tients  will  call  you  out  before  sunrise." 

And  with  that  they  separated,  each  to  seek 
his  own  sleeping  apartment. 

For  some  hours  all  was  darkness  and  silence 
within  and  without  the  house.  Then  the  doc 
tor  was  awakened  by  the  ringing  of  his  night 
bell. 

"What  is  wanted?"  he  asked,  going  to  the 
open  window. 

"  You,  doctah,  fast  as  you  kin  git  dar,  down, 
to  Lamont — ole  Massa  Gest's  place.  Leetle 
Miss  Nellie  she  got  a  fit." 

"  Indeed!  I  am  very  sorry  to  hear  it.  I'll  be 
there  as  soon  as  possible,"  and  turning  from  the 
window  the  doctor  rang  for  his  servant,  ordered 
horses  saddled  and  brought  to  a  side  door,  then 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  255 

hurried  on  his  clothes,  explaining  matters  to 
the  now  awakened  Maud  as  he  did  so — gathered 
up  the  remedies  likely  to  be  needed,  and  has 
tened  away. 

Directing  his  servant  to  keep  close  in  his  rear 
he  rode  rapidly  in  the  direction  of  the  place 
named  by  the  messenger.  He  found  the  child 
very  ill  and  not  fit  to  be  left  by  him  until  early 
morning. 

It  was  in  the  darkest  hour,  just  before  day, 
that  he  started  for  home  again.  All  went  well 
till  he  was  within  a  few  rods  of  home,  but  then 
his  horse — a  rather  wild  young  animal — took 
fright  at  the  hoot  of  an  owl  in  a  tree  close  at 
hand,  reared  suddenly  and  threw  him  violently 
to  the  ground,  then  rushed  away  in  the  direc 
tion  of  his  stable. 

"Oh,  doctah,sah,is  you  bad  hurted?"  queried 
the  servant  man,  hastily  alighting  and  coming 
to  his  master's  side. 

"Pretty  badly,  I'm  afraid,  Pete,"  groaned 
the  doctor.  "  Help  me  to  the  house,  and  then 
you  must  ride  over  to  Viamede  as  fast  as  you 
can,  wake  up  Dr.  Harold  Travilla  and  ask  him 
to  come  to  me  immediately  to  set  some  broken 


256  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

bones.  Take  one  of  the  other  horses  with  you 
for  him  to  ride.  Ah,"  as  he  attempted  to  rise, 
"  I'm  hardly  able  to  walk,  Pete;  you  will  have 
to  pretty  nearly  carry  me  to  the  house." 

"  I  kin  do  dat,  doctah;  Ise  a  strong-built  nig 
ger;  jes  lemme  tote  you  'long  like  de  mammies 
do  de  leetle  darkies." 

And  with  that  Pete  lifted  Dr.  Percival  in  his 
arms  carried  him  to  the  house  and  on  up  to  his 
own  sleeping  room,  where  he  laid  him  gently 
down  upon  his  bed  in  an  almost  fainting  condi 
tion. 

Maud  was  greatly  alarmed,  and  bade  Pete 
hasten  with  all  speed  for  one  or  another  of  the 
doctor  cousins. 

"  Harold,  Harold! "  groaned  the  sufferer, 
"  he  is  older  than  Herbert  and  nearer  than  Art, 
who  is  at  the  Parsonage.  And  he  can  bring 
Herbert  with  him  should  he  see  fit." 

Pete,  alarmed  at  the  condition  of  his  master, 
to  whom  he  had  become  strongly  attached, 
made  all  the  haste  he  could  to  bring  the  needed 
help;  but  the  sun  was  already  above  the  tree 
tops  when  he  reached  Viamede. 

The  first  person  he  saw  there  was  Captain 


ELSIE  IN  TEE  SOUTH.  257 

Kaymond,  who  had  just  stepped  out  upon  the 
veranda. 

"Morning,  sah!  is  you  uns  one  ob  de  doc- 
tahs? "  he  queried  in  anxious  tones,  as  he 
reined  in  his  horse  at  the  foot  of  the  veranda 
steps. 

"No/'  replied  the  captain;  "but  there  are 
doctors  in  the  house.  You  are  from  Torris- 
wood,  I  think.  Is  any  one  ill  there?" 

"Massa  doctah,  he's  'most  killed!  Horse 
frowed  him.  Please,  sah,  where  de  doctahs? 
I'se  in  pow'ful  big  hurry  to  git  dem  dere 
fore " 

"  Here,"  called  the  voice  of  Harold  from  an 
upper  window;  "is  it  I  that  am  wanted?  I'll 
be  down  there  in  five  minutes  or  less." 

"  Yes,  I  think  it  is  you,  and  probably  Herbert 
also,  who  are  wanted  in  all  haste  at  Torris- 
wood,"  answered  Captain  Eaymond,  his  voice 
betraying  both  anxiety  and  alarm.  "  It  seems 
Dick  has  met  with  a  serious  accident  and  has 
sent  for  one  or  both  of  you." 

"  Yes,"  replied  Herbert,  speaking  as  Harold 
had  from  the  window,  "  we  will  both  go  to  him 
as  speedily  as  possible  and  do  what  we  can  for 


258  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

his  relief.  Please,  captain,  order  another  horse 
saddled  and  brought  round  immediately." 

The  captain  at  once  complied  with  the  re 
quest,  and  in  a  very  few  minutes  both  doctors 
were  riding  briskly  toward  Torriswood.  They 
found  their  patient  in  much  pain  from  a  dislo 
cated  shoulder  and  some  broken  bones;  all  of 
which  they  proceeded  to  set  as  promptly  as  pos 
sible.  But  there  were  symptoms  of  some  inter 
nal  injury  which  occasioned  more  alarm  than 
the  displacement  and  fracture  of  the  bones. 
They  held  a  consultation  outside  of  the  sick 
room. 

"I  think  we  should  have  Cousin  Arthur 
here,"  said  Harold.  " l  In  multitude  of  coun 
sellors  is  safety/  Solomon  tells  us,  and  Art  ex 
cels  us  both  in  wisdom  and  experience." 

"  Certainly,"  responded  Herbert;  "  let  us 
summon  him  at  once.  I  am  glad  indeed  that 
he  is  still  within  reach." 

"  As  I  am.  I  will  speak  to  Maud  and  have 
him  sent  for  immediately." 

A  messenger  was  promptly  despatched  to  the 
Parsonage  and  returned  shortly,  bringing  Dr. 
Conly  with  him.  Another  examination  and 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  259 

consultation  followed  and  Dr.  Percival,  who 
had  become  slightly  delirious,  was  pronounced 
in  a  critical  condition;  yet  the  physicians, 
though  anxious,  by  no  means  despaired  of  his 
ultimate  recovery. 

The  news  of  the  accident  had  by  this  time 
reached  all  of  the  connection  in  that  neighbor 
hood,  and  silent  petitions  on  his  behalf  were 
going  up  from  many  hearts.  On  behalf  of  his 
young  wife  also,  for  poor  Maud  seemed  well- 
nigh  distracted  with  grief  and  the  fear  of  the 
bereavement  that  threatened  her. 

Mrs.  Embury,  too,  was  greatly  distressed,  for 
Dick  and  she  had  been  all  their  lives  a  devotedly 
attached  brother  and  sister.  No  day  now 
passed  in  which  she  did  not  visit  Torriswood 
that  she  might  catch  a  sight  of  his  dear  face  and 
learn  as  far  as  possible  his  exact  state;  though 
neither  her  nursing  nor  that  of  other  loving 
relatives  was  needed — the  doctors  and  an  old 
negress,  skilled  in  that  line  of  work,  doing 
all  that  could  be  done  for  his  relief  and 
comfort. 

Mrs.  Betty  Norton,  his  half-sister,  was 
scarcely  less  pained  and  anxious;  as  indeed  were 


260  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

Maud's  brothers  and  all  the  relatives  in  that 
region. 

It  was  from  her  father  Lucilla  first  heard  of 
the  accident — when  she  joined  him  on  the  ve 
randa  at  Viamede  directly  after  the  departure 
of  the  doctors  and  Pete  for  Torriswood. 

"  Oh,  father,"  she  exclaimed,  "  I  do  hope  he 
is  not  seriously  injured!  Poor  Maud!  She 
must  be  sorely  distressed,  for  he  has  proved 
such  a  good,  kind  husband,  and  she  almost 
idolizes  him." 

"Yes,  I  feel  deeply  for  her  as  well  as  for 
him.  We  will  pray  for  them  both,  asking  that 
if  it  be  consistent  with  the  will  of  God,  he  may 
be  speedily  restored  to  perfect  health  and 
strength." 

"  Yes,  papa;  what  a  comfort  it  is  that  we  may 
cast  upon  the  Lord  all  our  care  for  ourselves 
and  others! " 

"  It  is  indeed!  I  have  found  it  so  in  many  a 
sore  trial  sent  to  myself  or  to  some  one  dear  to 
me.  I  am  glad  for  Maud  that  she  has  her 
brothers  with  her  now." 

"  I  too,  papa,  and  I  suppose  Chester  will  stay 
with  her  to-day." 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  261 

"Most  likely;  and  my  daughter  must  not 
feel  hurt  should  he  not  show  himself  here  at  his 
usual  early  hour,  or  even  at  all  to-day." 

"I'll  try  not,  papa.  I  am  sure  it  would  be 
very  selfish  in  me  to  grudge  poor  dear  Maud 
any  show  of  sympathy  or  any  comfort  she  might 
receive  from  him — her  own  dear  eldest 
brother." 

"  Yes,  so  I  think,"  said  her  father,  "  and  I 
should  not  expect  it  of  any  one  of  my  daugh 
ters." 

Chester  came  at  length,  some  hours  later 
than  his  wont,  and  looking  grave  and  troubled. 
In  answer  to  inquiries,  "  Yes,  poor  Dick  is  cer 
tainly  badly  hurt,"  he  said,  "and  Maud  well- 
nigh  distracted  with  grief  and  anxiety.  She  is 
a  most  devoted  wife  and  considers  him  her 
all." 

"  But  the  case  is  not  thought  to  be  hope 
less?  "  Mr.  Dinsmore  said  inquiringly. 

"No,  not  exactly  that,  but  the  doctors  are 
not  yet  able  to  decide  just  what  the  internal  in 
jury  may  be." 

"  And  while  there  is  life  there  is  hope,"  said 
Grandma  Elsie  in  determinately  cheerful  tones. 


202  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.. 

"  It  is  certainly  in  his  favor  that  he  is  a  strong;,, 
healthy  man,  in  the  prime  of  life." 

"  And  still  more  that  he  is  a  Christian  man; 
therefore  ready  for  any  event,"  added  her 
father. 

"  And  so  loved  and  useful  a  man  that  we  may 
well  unite  in  prayer  for  his  recovery,  if  con 
sistent  with  the  will  of  God,"  said  Captain  Ray 
mond. 

"  And  so  we  will,"  said  Cousin  Ronald.  "  I 
feel  assured  that  no  one  of  us  will  refuse  or  neg 
lect  the  performance  of  that  duty." 

"  And  we  can  plead  the  promise,  '  If  two  of 
you  shall  agree  on  earth  as  touching  anything 
that  they  shall  ask,  it  shall  be  done  for  them  of 
my  Father  which  is  in  heaven/ "  said  Mrs. 
Dinsmore.  "  So  I  have  strong  hope  that  dear 
Dick  will  be  spared  to  us.  He  is  certainly  a 
much  loved  and  very  useful  man." 

"  And  Maud  must  be  relieved  as  far  as  pos 
sible  from  other  cares,"  remarked  Mrs.  Travilla. 
"  I  shall  at  once  invite  my  brother  and  his 
family  here.  There  is  room  enough,  especially 
as  my  two  sons  are  there  and  will  be  nearly,  if 
not  all,  the  time  while  Dick  is  so  ill." 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  263 

"  No,  cousin,"  said  Chester,  "  thank  you  very 
much,  but  Cousin  Sue  is  making  herself  very 
useful  and  could  not  well  be  spared.  She  has 
undertaken  the  housekeeping,  leaving  Maud  to 
devote  herself  entirely  to  Dick." 

"  Oh,  that  is  good  and  kind  in  her,"  was  the 
quick  response  from  several  voices. 

"  And  very  fortunate  it  is  that  she  happened 
to  be  there,  ready  for  the  undertaking,"  said 
Mrs.  Rose  Croly;  "  and  if  Dick  had  to  have  that 
accident  he  couldn't  have  found  a  better  time 
for  it  than  now,  while  there  are  three  good  doc 
tors  at  hand  to  attend  to  him." 

"  True  enough,"  assented  Chester.  "  Things 
are  never  so  bad  but  they  might  be  worse." 

Days  of  anxiety  and  suspense  followed,  during 
which  Dr.  PercivaFs  life  seemed  trembling  in 
the  balance.  Drs.  Harold  and  Herbert  scarcely 
left  the  house  and  spent  much  of  their  time  in 
the  sick  room,  while  Dr.  Conly  made  several 
visits  every  day,  sometimes  remaining  for  hours, 
and  the  rest  of  the  relatives  and  near  friends 
<?ame  and  went  with  kind  offers  and  inquiries, 
doing  all  in  their  power  to  show  sympathy,  and 
give  help,  while  carefully  avoiding  unwelcome 


264  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

intrusion  or  disturbance  of  the  quiet  that 
brooded  over  Torriswood  and  seemed  so  essen 
tial  under  the  circumstances.  Nothing  was 
neglected  that  could  be  done  for  the  restoration 
of  the  loved  sufferer,  and  no  one  of  the  many 
relatives  and  connections  there  felt  willing  to 
leave  the  neighborhood  while  his  life  hung  in 
the  balance. 

Chester  spent  a  part  of  each  day  with  his  dis 
tressed  and  anxious  sister,  and  a  part  with  his 
betrothed,  from  whom  he  felt  very  unwilling  to 
absent  himself  for  even  one  whole  day. 

The  young  people  and  some  of  the  older  ones 
made  little  excursions,  as  before,  on  the  bayou 
and  about  the  woods  and  fields,  Captain  Ray 
mond  and  Violet  usually  forming  a  part  of  the 
company;  especially  if  his  daughter  Grace  and 
Frank  Dinsmore  were  in  it. 

At  other  times  they  gathered  upon  the  ve 
randa  or  in  the  parlors  and  entertained  each 
other  with  conversation,  music,  or  games  of  the 
quiet  and  innocent  kind. 

In  the  meantime  many  earnest  prayers  were 
sent  up  on  behalf  of  the  injured  one — the  be 
loved  physician — in  the  closet,  in  the  family 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  265 

worship,  and  in  the  sanctuary  when  they  as- 
sembled  there  on  the  Sabbath  day;  and  many  a 
silent  petition  as  one  and  another  thought  of 
him  on  his  bed  of  suffering.  They  prayed  in 
faith,  believing  that  if  it  were  best  in  the  sight 
of  Him  who  is  all-wise  and  all-powerful  and 
with  whom  there  is  no  variableness  or  shadow 
of  turning,  their  petition  would  be  granted. 

And  at  length  so  it  proved;  the  fever  left 
him,  consciousness  and  reason  were  restored, 
and  presently  the  rejoicing  physicians  were  able 
to  declare  the  danger  past,  the  recovery  certain 
should  nothing  occur  to  cause  a  relapse. 

Then  there  was  great  rejoicing  among  those 
who  were  of  his  kith  and  kin,  and  those  to 
whom  he  was  the  beloved  physician.  Then 
such  as  were  needed  at  their  places  of  residence 
presently  bade  farewell  and  departed  for  their 
homes;  Drs.  Conly  and  Herbert  Travilla  among 
them,  leaving  Dr.  Harold  in  sole  charge  of  the 
invalid. 

Those  who  had  come  on  the  Dolphin  decided 
to  return  on  it,  though  they  would  linger  some 
what  longer — no  one  feeling  it  a  trial  to  have  to 
delay  for  days  or  weeks  where  they  were. 


266  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

Frank  Dinsmore  was  one  of  the  earliest  to 
leave,  and  Chester,  finding  that  more  Southern 
climate  beneficial  to  him  at  that  season  of  the 
year,  was  entirely  willing  to  entrust  the  busi 
ness  of  the  firm  to  his  brother  for  a  time. 

So,  relieved  of  anxiety  in  regard  to  Dick  and 
still  numerous  enough  to  make  a  very  pleasant 
party,  the  time  passed  swiftly  and  most  agree 
ably  to  them — especially  to  the  two  affianced 
pairs  and  the  children;  Cousin  Eonald  and  Max 
now  and  then  entertaining  them  by  the  exer 
tion  of  their  ventriloquial  powers.  The  young 
people  from  Magnolia  Hall  were  often  with 
them  and  their  presence  added  zest  to  the  enjoy 
ment  of  little  Elsie  and  Ned  in  the  fun  made  by 
their  indulgent  ventriloquists.  That  particu 
lar  sport  was  apt  to  begin  unexpectedly  to  the 
children,  making  it  a  little  more  difficult  to 
recognize  it  as  the  doings  of  the  ventriloquists. 

One  afternoon,  after  playing  romping  games 
upon  the  lawn  until  weary  enough  to  enjoy  a 
quiet  rest  on  the  veranda  where  the  older  people 
were,  they  had  hardly  seated  themselves  when 
they  heard  a  sound  of  approaching  footsteps, 
then  a  voice  that  seemed  like  that  of  a  little 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  267 

girl,  asking,  "  Dear  little  ladies  and  gentlemen, 
may  I  sit  here  with  you  for  a  while?  I'm  lone 
some  and  would  be  glad  of  good  company,  such 
as  I  am  sure  yours  must  be." 

Some  of  the  children,  hearing  the  voice  but 
not  able  to  see  the  speaker,  seemed  struck  dumb 
with  surprise. 

It  was  Violet  who  answered,  "  Oh,  yes,  little 
.girl.  Take  this  empty  chair  by  me  and  tell  me 
who  you  are." 

"  Oh,  madam,  I  really  can't  tell  you  my 
name,"  answered  the  voice,  now  seeming  to 
-come  from  the  empty  chair  by  Violet's  side. 
"It  seems  an  odd  thing  to  happen,  but  there 
are  folks  who  do  sometimes  forget  their  own 
name." 

"  And  that  is  the  case  with  you  now,  is  it?  " 
laughed  Violet.  "  Your  voice  sounds  like  that 
of  a  girl,  but  I  very  much  doubt  if  you  belong 
to  our  sex." 

"  Isn't  that  rather  insulting,  madam?  "  asked 
ihe  voice  in  an  offended  tone. 

"  Oh,  I  know  you're  not  a  girl  or  a  woman 
either! "  cried  Ned  Raymond  gleefully,  clap 
ping  his  hands  and  laughing  with  delight. 


268  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

"You're  a  man,  just  pretending  to  be  a  little 
girl." 

"  That  is  insulting,  you  rude  little  chap,  and 
I  shall  just  go  away,"  returned  the  voice  in  in 
dignant  tones,  followed  immediately  by  the 
sound  of  footsteps  starting  from  the  chair  be 
side  Violet  and  gradually  dying  away  in  the 
distance. 

"  Why,  she  went  off  in  a  hurry  and  I  couldn't 
see  her  at  all!  "  exclaimed  one  of  the  young  visi 
tors;  then,  as  everybody  laughed,  "  Oh,  of 
course  it  was  Cousin  Eonald  or  Cousin  Max! " 

"  Why,  the  voice  sounded  to  me  like  that  of  a 
little  girl,"  said  Violet,  "and  Cousin  Eonald 
and  Max  are  men." 

"  Of  course  they  are,  and  could  not  talk  in 
the  sweet  tones  of  my  little  girl,"  said  a  rough 
masculine  voice  that  seemed  to  come  from  the 
doorway  into  the  hall. 

Involuntarily  nearly  everybody  turned  to 
look  for  the  speaker,  but  he  was  not  to  be  seen. 

"  And  who  are  you  and  your  girl?  "  asked  an 
other  voice,  seeming  to  speak  from  the  farther 
end  of  the  veranda. 

"  People  of  consequence,  whom  you  should 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

treat  with  courtesy,"  answered  the  other,  wha 
seemed  to  stand  in  the  doorway. 

"As  we  will  if  you  will  come  forward  and 
show  yourselves/'  laughed  Lucilla,  putting  up 
her  hand  as  she  spoke  to  drive  away  a  bee  that 
seemed  to  buzz  about  her  ears. 

"  Never  mind,  Lu;  its  sting  won't  damage 
you  seriously/'  said  Max,  giving  her  a  look  of 
amusement. 

"  Oh,  hark!  here  come  the  soldiers  again! " 
exclaimed  Elsie  Embury,  as  the  notes  of  a 
bugle,  quickly  followed  by  those  of  the  drum 
and  fife,  seemed  to  come  from  a  distant  point 
on  the  farther  side  of  the  bayou. 

"  Don't  be  alarmed,  miss;  American  soldiers 
don't  harm  ladies,"  said  the  voice  from  the 
farther  end  of  the  veranda. 

"  No,  I  am  not  at  all  alarmed,"  she  returned 
with  a  look  of  amusement  directed  first  at 
Cousin  Eonald,  then  at  Max;  "  not  in  the  least 
afraid  of  them." 

The  music  continued  for  a  few  minutes,  all 
listening  silently  to  it,  then  as  the  last  strain 
died  away  a  voice  spoke  in  tones  apparently 
trembling  with  affright,  "  Oh,  please  somebody 


270  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

hide  me!  hide  me  quick!  quick!  before  those 
troops  get  here.  I'm  falsely  accused  and  who 
knows  but  they  may  shoot  me  down  on  sight?  " 

The  speaker  was  not  visible,  but  from  the 
sounds  seemed  to  be  on  the  lawn  and  very  near 
at  hand. 

"  Oh,  run  round  the  house  and  get  the  serv 
ants  to  hide  you  in  the  kitchen  or  one  of  the 
cellars,"  cried  Ned,  not  quite  able,  in  the  excite 
ment  of  the  moment,  to  realize  that  there  was 
not  a  stranger  there  who  might  be  really  in  sore 
peril. 

"  Thanks! "  returned  the  voice,  and  a  sound 
.as  of  some  one  running  swiftly  in  the  prescribed 
direction  accompanied  and  followed  the  word. 

Then  the  tramp,  tramp,  as  of  soldiers  on  the 
march,  and  the  music  of  the  drum  and  fife 
seemed  to  draw  nearer  and  nearer. 

"  Why,  it's  real,  isn't  it?  "  exclaimed  one  of 
the  children,  jumping  up  and  trying  to  get  a 
nearer  view  of  the  approaching  troop. 

"  Oh,  don't  be  afraid,"  laughed  Grace;  "  I'm 
sure  they  won't  hurt  us  or  that  poor,  frightened 
man  either." 

"No,"  chuckled  Ned.     "If  he  went  to  the 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  271 

kitchen,  as  I  told  him  to,  he'll  have  plenty  of 
time  to  hide  before  they  can  get  here." 

"  Sure  enough,  laddie,"  laughed  Cousin 
Ronald,  "  they  don't  appear  to  be  coming  on 
very  fast.  I  hear  no  more  o*  their  music  or 
their  tramp,  tramp.  Do  you?  " 

"  No,  sir;  and  I  won't  believe  they  are  real 
live  fellows  till  I  see  them." 

"  Well  now,  Ned,"  said  Lucilla,  "  I  really  be 
lieve  they  are  very  much  alive  and  kindly  mak 
ing  a  good  deal  of  fun  for  us." 

"Who,  who,  who?"  came  at  that  instant 
from  among  the  branches  of  the  tree  near  at 
hand — or  at  least  seemed  to  come  from  there. 

"  Our  two  ventriloquist  friends,"  replied  Lu 
cilla,  gazing  up  into  the  tree  as  if  expecting  to 
see  and  recognize  the  bird. 

"  Oh,  what  was  that?  "  exclaimed  one  of  the 
little  girls,  jumping  up  in  affright,  as  the  squeak 
of  a  mouse  seemed  to  come  from  among  the 
folds  of  her  dress. 

"  Nothing  dangerous,  my  dear,"  said  Mr. 
Dinsmore,  drawing  her  into  the  shelter  of 
his  arms.  "It  was  no  mouse;  only  a  little 
noise." 


272  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

"  Oh,  yes,  uncle,  I  might  have  known  that," 
she  said  with  a  rather  hysterical  little  laugh. 

Just  then  the  tramp,  tramp  was  heard  again 
apparently  near  at  hand,  at  one  side  of  the 
house,  where  the  troops  might  be  concealed  by 
the  trees  and  shrubs;  the  music  of  the  drum  and 
fife  following  the  next  moment. 

"  Oh,"  cried  Ned,  "  won't  they  catch  that  fel 
low  who  just  ran  round  to  the  kitchen  as  I  told 
him  to?" 

"If  they  do  I  hope  they  won't  hurt  him," 
laughed  Lucilla. 

The  music  seemed  to  arouse  the  anger  of  sev 
eral  dogs  belonging  on  the  place  and  at  that 
moment  they  set  up  a  furious  barking.  The 
music  continued  and  seemed  to  come  nearer  and 
nearer,  the  dogs  barked  more  and  more  furi 
ously;  but  presently  the  drum  and  fife  became 
silent,  the  dogs  ceased  barking  and  all  was 
quiet.  But  not  for  long;  the  voice  that  had 
asked  for  a  hiding-place  spoke  again  close  at 
hand. 

"Here  I  am,  safe  and  sound,  thanks  to  the 
little  chap  who  told  me  where  to  hide.  The 
fellows  didn't  find  me  and  I'm  off.  But  if  they 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  273 

come  here  looking  for  me,  please  don't  tell 
which  way  I've  gone.  Good-by." 

"  Wait  a  minute  and  tell  us  who  you  are  be 
fore  you  go,"  called  out  Eric  Leland,  and  from 
the  tree  came  the  owl's  "Who,  who,  who?" 

"  Who  I  am?  "  returned  the  manlike  voice,, 
seeming  to  speak  from  a  greater  distance, 
"  Well,  sir,  that's  for  me  to  know  and  you  to- 
find  out." 

"  Now  please  tell  us  which  of  you  it  was — 
Cousin  Ronald  and  Max,"  said  Ned,  looking- 
from  one  to  the  other. 

"  That's  for  us  to  know  and  you  to  find  out,, 
little  brother,"  laughed  Max. 

"  Papa,"  said  Ned,  turning  to  their  father,  "  I 
wish  you'd  order  Max  to  tell." 

"  Max  is  of  age  now  and  not  at  present  under 
my  orders,"  replied  Captain  Eaymond,  with  a 
humorous  look  and  smile,  and  just  then  came 
the  call  to  the  tea  table. 

Ned  was  unusually  quiet  during  the  meal, 
gazing  scrutinizingly  every  now  and  then  at  hi& 
father  or  Max.  When  they  had  returned  to  the 
veranda  he  watched  his  opportunity  and  seized 
upon  a  moment  when  he  could  speak  to  his 


274  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

brother  without  being  overheard  by  anyone 
•else. 

"  Brother  Max,"  he  queried,  "  won't  you  ever 
have  to  obey  papa  any  more?  " 

"  Yes,  little  brother,"  returned  Max,  looking 
slightly  amused,  "  I  consider  it  my  duty  to  obey 
papa  now  whenever  it  pleases  him  to  give  me  an 
order;  and  that  it  will  be  my  duty  as  long  as  he 
and  I  both  live." 

"  And  you  mean  to  do  it?  " 

"  Yes,  indeed." 

"  So  do  I,"  returned  Ned  with  great  decision. 
•"  And  I  think  all  our  sisters  do  too;  because  the 
Bible  tells  us  to;  and  besides  papa  knows  best 
about  everything." 

"  Very  true,  Ned;  and  I  hope  none  of  us  will 
ever  forget  that  or  fail  to  obey  his  orders  or 
wishes  or  to  follow  his  advice." 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

DR.  PERCIVAL  had  so  far  recovered  as  to  be 
considered  able  to  lie  in  a  hammock  upon  an 
upper  veranda  where  he  could  look  out  upon 
the  beauties  of  the  lawn,  the  bayou,  and  the 
fields  and  woods  beyond.  Dr.  Harold  Travilla 
was  still  in  attendance  and  seldom  left  him  for 
any  great  length  of  time,  never  alone,  seldom 
with  only  the  nurse — Maud,  one  of  Dick's  sis 
ters,  or  some  other  relative  being  always  near  at 
hand,  ready  to  wait  upon  him,  chat  pleasantly 
for  his  entertainment,  or  remain  silent  as 
seemed  best  to  suit  his  mood  at  the  moment. 

He  was  very  patient,  cheerful,  and  easily 
entertained,  but  did  not  usually  talk  very  much 
himself. 

One  day  he  and  Harold  were  alone  for  a  time. 
Both  had  been  silent  for  some  moments  when 
Dick,  turning  an  affectionate  look  upon  his 
cousin,  said  in  grateful  tones,  "  How  very  goodr 
kind,  and  attentive  you  have  been  to  me,  Har- 

275 


276  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

old.  I  think  that  but  for  you  and  the  other 
two  doctors — Cousins  Arthur  and  Herbert — I 
should  now  be  lying  under  the  sod;  and  I  must 
acknowledge  that  you  are  a  most  excellent 
physician  and  surgeon,"  he  added  with  an  ap 
preciative  smile  and  holding  out  his  hand. 

Harold  took  the  hand  and,  pressing  it  affec 
tionately  in  both  of  his,  said  with  feeling, 
""Thank  you,  Dick.  I  consider  your  opinion 
worth  a  great  deal,  and  it  is  a  joy  to  me  that  I 
liave  been  permitted  to  aid  in  helping  on  your 
recovery;  but  I  am  no  more  deserving  of  thanks 
than  the  others.  Indeed  both  Herbert  and  I 
felt  it  to  be  a  very  great  help  to  be  able  to  call 
Cousin  Arthur  in  to  give  his  opinion,  advice, 
assistance;  which  he  did  freely  and  faithfully. 
He  is  an  excellent  physician  and  surgeon — as  I 
know  you  to  be  also :  knowledge  which  increases 
the  delight  of  having  been — by  God's  blessing 
upon  our  efforts — able  to  pull  you  through, 
thus  saving  a  most  useful  life." 

"  Thank  you,"  replied  Dick  in  a  moved  tone. 
'"  By  God's  help  I  shall  try  to  make  it  more  use 
ful  in  the  future  than  it  has  been  in  the  past — 
should  he  see  fit  to  restore  me  to  health  and 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  277 

vigor.  I  feel  at  present  as  if  I  might  never 
again  be  able  to  walk  or  ride." 

"I  think  you  need  change  of  climate  for  a 
while,"  said  Harold.  "  What  do  you  say  to 
going  North  with  us,  if  Captain  Raymond 
should  give  you  and  Maud  an  invitation  to  take 
passage  in  his  yacht?  " 

"  Why,  that  is  a  splendid  idea,  Harold!  "  ex 
claimed  Dick,  with  such  a  look  of  animation 
and  pleasure  as  had  not  been  seen  upon  his 
features  for  many  a  day.  "  Should  I  get  the 
invitation  and  Bob  come  back  in  time  to  attend 
to  our  practice,  I — I  really  shall,  I  think,  be 
strongly  inclined  to  accept." 

"  I  hope  so  indeed,"  Harold  said  with  a  smile, 
"  and  I  haven't  a  doubt  that  you  will  get  it;  for 
I  know  of  no  one  who  loves  better  than  the  cap 
tain  to  do  good  or  give  pleasure.  Ah!  speak  of 
angels!  here  he  is  with  his  wife  and  yours,"  as 
just  at  that  moment  the  three  stepped  out  from 
the  open  doorway  upon  the  veranda. 

"  The  three  of  us,  Harold?  Are  we  all  angels 
to-day?  "  asked  Violet,  with  a  smile,  stepping 
forward  and  taking  Dick's  hand  in  hers. 

"  Quite  as  welcome  as  if  you  were,  cousin," 


278  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

said  Dick.  "Ah,  captain!  it  was  you  we 
were  speaking  of  at  the  moment  of  your 
arrival." 

"  Ah?  a  poor  substitute  for  an  angel,  I  fear/* 
was  the  rejoinder  in  the  captain's  usual  pleas 
ant  tones.  "  But  I  hope  it  was  the  thought  of 
something  which  it  may  be  in  my  power  to  do 
for  you,  Cousin  Dick." 

"  Thanks,  captain;  you  are  always  most 
kind,"  returned  Dick,  asking  Harold  by  a  look 
to  give  the  desired  explanation,  which  he  did  at 
once  by  repeating  what  had  just  passed  between 
him  and  Dr.  Percival  in  regard  to  a  Northern 
trip  to  be  taken  by  the  latter  upon  his  partner's 
return  from  his  bridal  trip. 

Captain  Raymond's  countenance  brightened 
as  he  listened  and  scarcely  waiting  for  the  con 
clusion,  "  Why,  certainly,"  he  said.  "  It  will 
be  an  easy  matter  to  make  room  for  Cousins 
Dick  and  Maud,  and  a  delight  to  have  them 
with  us  on  the  voyage  and  after  we  reach  home 
until  the  warm  weather  sends  us  all  farther 
North  for  the  summer." 

"  Oh,  delightful!  "  cried  Maud.  "  Oh,  Dick, 
my  dear,  it  will  set  you  up  as  nothing  else 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  279 

could;  and  you  may  hope  to  come  back  in  the 
fall  as  well  and  strong  as  ever." 

Dr.  Percival  looked  inquiringly  at  Violet. 

"Yes,  cousin,"  she  said  with  a  smile,  "I 
think  we  can  make  you  very  comfortable;  and 
that  without  inconveniencing  anybody;  espe 
cially  as  Grandpa  and  Grandma  Dinsmore  de 
cline  to  return  in  the  Dolphin.  They  go  from 
here  to  Philadelphia  by  rail,  to  visit  her  rela 
tions  there  or  in  that  region.  So  you  need  not 
hesitate  about  it  for  a  moment,  and/'  glancing 
at  her  brother,  "you  will  have  your  doctor 
along  to  see  that  you  are  well  taken  care  of  and 
not  allowed  to  expose  yourself  on  deck  when 
you  should  be  down  in  the  saloon  or  lying  in 
your  berth." 

"  Yes,"  laughed  Harold,  "  I  shall  do  my  best 
to  keep  my  patient  within  bounds  and  see  that 
he  does  nothing  to  bring  on  a  relapse  and  so  do 
discredit  to  my  medical  and  surgical  knowledge 
and  skill." 

"  Which  I  should  certainly  be  most  sorry  to 
do,"  smiled  Dick.  "  If  I  do  not  do  credit  to  it 
all,  it  shall  be  no  fault  of  mine.  Never  again, 
cousin,  can  I  for  a  moment  forget  that  you 


280  ELSIE  IN  TEE  SOUTH. 

stand  at  about  the  head  of  your  profession — or 
deserve  to,  certainly — as  both  physician  and 
eurgeon.  Captain,  I  accept  your  kind  offer 
with  most  hearty  thanks.  I  feel  already  some 
thing  like  fifty  per  cent,  better  for  the  very 
thought  of  the  rest  and  pleasure  of  the  voyage, 
the  visit  to  my  old  home  and  friends,  and  then. 
a  sojourn  during  the  hot  months  in  the  cooler 
regions  of  the  North." 

From  that  time  his  improvement  was  far 
more  rapid  than  it  had  been,  and  Maud  was  very 
happy  over  that  and  her  preparations  for  the 
contemplated  trip,  in  which  Grandma  Elsie  and 
Cousins  Annis  and  Violet  gave  her  valuable 
assistance. 

At  length  a  letter  was  received  telling  that 
the  newly-married  pair  might  be  expected  two 
days  later.  Chester  brought  the  news  to  Via- 
mede  shortly  after  breakfast  and  all  heard  it 
with  pleasure,  for  they  were  beginning  to  feel 
a  strong  drawing  toward  their  northern  homes. 

"  It  is  good  news/'  said  Grandma  Elsie;  "  and 
now  I  want  to  carry  out  a  plan  of  which  I  have 
been  thinking  for  some  time." 

"  In  regard  to  what?  "  asked  her  father. 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  281 

"  The  reception  to  be  given  our  bride  and 
groom,"  she  answered.  "  I  want  it  to  be  given 
here;  all  the  connection  now  in  these  parts  to 
be  invited,  house  and  lawn  to  be  decorated  as 
they  were  for  our  large  party  just  after  the  wed 
ding,  and  such  a  feast  of  fat  things  as  we  had 
then  to  be  provided." 

"  That  is  just  like  you,  mother,"  said  Captain 
Eaymond;  "  always  thinking  how  to  give  pleas 
ure  and  save  trouble  to  other  people." 

"  Ah,  it  seems  to  me  that  I  am  the  one  to  do 
it  in  this  instance,"  she  returned  with  a  grati 
fied  smile,  "  having  the  most  means,  the  most 
room  of  any  of  the  connection  about  here, 
abundance  of  excellent  help  as  regards  all  the 
work  of  preparation  and  the  entertainment  of 
the  guests;  indeed  everything  that  the  occasion 
calls  for.  Dick  and  Maud  are  in  no  case  to  do 
the  entertaining,  though  I  do  certainly  hope 
they  may  both  be  able  to  attend — he,  poor  fel 
low,  lying  in  a  hammock  on  the  veranda  or 
under  the  trees.  If  they  like  they  may  as  well 
come  fully  prepared  for  their  journey  and  start 
with  us  from  here." 

"  A  most  excellent  and  kind  plan,  cousin,  as 


282  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

yours  always  are,"  said  Chester,  giving  Mrs. 
Travilla  a  pleased  and  grateful  look.  "  I  have 
no  doubt  it  will  be  accepted  if  Dr.  Harold 
approves." 

"  As  he  surely  should,  since  it  is  his 
mother's,"  remarked  Violet  in  her  sprightly 
way.  "  Suppose  you  drive  over  at  once, 
mamma,  see  the  three,  and  have  the  whole  thing 
settled." 

"  A  very  good  idea  I  think,  Vi,"  was  the  smil 
ing  rejoinder.  "  Captain,  will  you  order  a  car 
riage  brought  round  promptly,  and  you  and  Vi 
go  with  me? — taking  Elsie  and  Ned  also,  if  they 
would  care  for  a  drive,"  she  added,  giving  the 
little  folks  a  kindly  inquiring  look. 

Both  joyfully  accepted  the  invitation,  if  papa 
and  mamma  were  willing;  Elsie  adding: 

"  And  if  Cousin  Dick  is  not  well  enough  for 
us  to  go  in,  we  can  stay  in  the  carriage  or  out  in 
the  grounds,  till  you  and  papa  and  mamma  are 
ready  to  come  back." 

"  Yes,"  said  her  father;  "  so  there  is  no  ob 
jection  to  your  going." 

"  There  will  still  be  a  vacant  seat,"  said 
Grandma  Elsie,  "  will  }-ou  not  go  with  us  also, 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  283 

Grace?  I  have  heard  Harold  say  driving  was 
good  exercise  for  you." 

"  Oh,  thank  you,  ma'am,"  said  Grace.  "  I 
should  like  it  very  much,  if  papa  approves," 
glancing  with  an  inquiring  smile  at  him. 

"  Certainly.  I  am  quite  sure  that  my  daugh 
ter  Grace's  company  will  add  to  my  enjoyment 
of  the  drive,"  was  the  captain's  kindly  re 
sponse. 

"  And,  Grandma  Elsie,  cannot  you  find  some 
use  for  the  stay-at-homes? "  asked  Max. 
"  Chester  and  myself  for  instance.  Would 
there  he  any  objection  to  having  '  Old  Glory ' 
set  waving  from  the  tree  tops  to-day?  " 

"None  whatever,"  she  returned  with  her 
sweet  smile.  "  I,  for  one,  never  weary  of  seeing 
it  ( wave  o'er  the  land  of  the  free  and  the 
home  of  the  hrave.'  " 

"  I  think  anyone  who  does  isn't  worthy  to 
be  called  an  American!"  exclaimed  Lucilla  with 
warmth. 

"Unless  so  unfortunate  as  to  be  only  a 
South  American,"  remarked  Eva  with  a  smile. 
"  You  would  not  expect  such  an  one  to  care  for 
our  Old  Glory." 


284  ELSIE  IN  TEE  SOUTH. 

"  Oh,  no,  certainly  not;  it  is  no  more  to 
them  than  to  the  rest  of  the  world." 

"  But  I  dare  say  it  is  a  good  deal  to  some  of 
the  rest  of  the  world;  judging  from  the  way 
they  flock  to  these  shores/'  said  Chester. 

"  Which  I  sincerely  wish  some  of  them 
wouldn't/'  said  Lucilla;  "  the  ignorant,  idle, 
and  vicious.  To  read  of  the  great  numbers 
constantly  coming  in  often  makes  me  tremble 
for  our  liberties." 

"  Honest  and  industrious  ones  we  are  always 
glad  to  welcome,"  said  Chester,  "  but  the  idle 
and  vicious  ought  to  be  kept  out.  And  as  our 
own  native  born  boys  must  be  twenty-one  years 
old  before  being  allowed  to  vote,  I  think  every 
foreigner  should  be  required  to  wait  here  that 
same  length  of  time  before  receiving  the  right 
of  suffrage." 

"And  I  heartily  agree  with  you  in  that," 
said  Captain  Raymond. 

"  But  unfortunately  we  have  too  many  selfish 
politicians — men  who  are  selfishly  set  upon 
their  own  advancement  to  wealth  and  power 
and  care  little,  if  anything,  -for  their  country 
and  their  country's  good — who,  to  gain  votes 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

for  themselves,  have  managed  to  have  the  right 
of  suffrage  given  those  worthless,  ignorant  for 
eigners  in  order  to  get  into  place  and  power 
through  them." 

"  I  haven't  a  particle  of  respect  for  such 
men,"  exclaimed  Lucilla  hotly;  "  and  not  much 
more  for  some  others  who  are  so  engrossed  in, 
the  management  of  their  own  affairs — the  mak 
ing  of  money  by  such  close  attention  to  busi 
ness,  that  they  can't,  or  won't  look  at  all  after 
the  interests  of  their  country." 

"  Very  true,  my  dear  sister,"  said  Max,  with 
a  roguish  look  and  smile,  "  so  it  is  high  time  the 
ladies  should  be  given  the  right  of  suffrage." 

"The  right!  I  think  they  have  that  al 
ready,"  she  returned  with  rising  color  and  an' 
indignant  look,  "  but  domineering  men  won't 
allow  them  to  use  it." 

"  Why,  daughter,"  laughed  the  captain,  "  I 
had  no  idea  that  you  were  such  a  woman's  rights 
woman.  Surely  it  is  not  the  result  of  my 
training." 

"  No,  indeed,  papa;  though  you  hare  tried  to 
teach  me  to  think  for  myself,"  she  returned 
with  a  blush  and  smile,  adding,  "I  am  not 


286  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

wanting  to  vote — even  if  I  were  old  enough, 
which  I  know  I  am  not  yet — but  I  do  want  the 
laws  made  and  administered  by  my  own  coun 
trymen,  and  that  without  any  assistance  from 
ignorant  foreigners." 

"Ah,  and  that  is  perhaps  the  result  of  my 
teachings.  Are  you  not  afraid,  Chester,"  turn 
ing  to  him,  "that  one  of  these  days  she  may 
prove  too  independent  for  you?  " 

"  Ah,  captain,  if  you  are  thinking  of  fright 
ening  me  out  of  my  bargain  let  me  assure  you 
.at  once  that  it  is  perfectly  useless,"  laughed 
Chester  in  return. 

"Ah,  yes;  I  suppose  so,"  sighed  the  captain 
in  mock  distress.  "But  I  must  go  now  and 
order  the  carriage,"  he  added,  rising  and  has 
tening  away  in  the  direction  of  the  stables. 

"And  we  to  make  our  preparations  for  the 
drive  and  call  at  Torriswood,"  said  Grandma 
Elsie,  addressing  Violet  and  the  younger  ones, 
expecting  to  be  of  the  party.  "  Dick  and  Maud 
.should  have  as  early  a  report  of  our  plans  and 
purposes  as  we  can  well  give  them." 

To  that  Violet  and  Grace  gave  a  hearty  as 
sent,  the  little  ones  echoing  it  joyfully,  and  by 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  287 

the  time  the  carriage  could  be  brought  to  the- 
door  they  were  all  ready  to  enter  it. 

They  found  Maud  and  Dick  full  of  pleasura 
ble  excitement,  the  former  already  at  work  upon 
her  packing.  Grandma  Elsie's  plan  and  invi 
tation  were  highly  appreciated  by  both  and  joy 
fully  accepted. 

The  arrangements  were  soon  made.  If  all 
went  well  with  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Johnson  they 
would  reach  Viamede  the  next  afternoon,  stay 
there  in  the  enjoyment  of  its  hospitality  until 
toward  bedtime  of  that  evening,  then  come  on 
to  Torriswood,  and  a  day  or  two  later  the  others- 
would  start  upon  their  northward  journey;  all 
going  together  to  New  Orleans,  Grandpa  and 
Grandma  Dinsmore  taking  the  cars  there  for 
Philadelphia,  and  the  rest  starting  for  home  by 
water — along  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  around 
Florida,  and  up  the  Atlantic  coast. 

The  whole  plan  met  Dr.  Harold's  unqualified 
approval,  while  Dr.  Percival  was  so  charmed 
with  it  that  he  insisted  that  the  very  prospect 
of  it  all  had  nearly  restored  him  to  health  and 
strength. 

"  Is  that  so,  cousin  ?  "  exclaimed  Violet  with 


288  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

•a  pleased  laugh,  "  why,  you  will  be  another 
Samson  by  the  time  we  reach  our  homes." 

"Ah,  if  I  can  only  recover  the  amount  of 
strength  I  had  before  my  accident  I  shall  be 
satisfied,"  said  he,  "and  I  shall  know  how  to 
appreciate  it  as  I  never  did  in  the  past." 

All  the  necessary  arrangements  having  now 
been  made,  the  Viamede  party  presently  re 
turned  to  their  temporary  home,  which  they 
found  looking  very  gay  and  patriotic  with  flags 
fluttering  from  tree  tops,  gables,  windows,  and 
verandas;  for  the  young  folks  left  behind  had 
been  very  busy  in  their  work  of  adornment. 
The  result  of  their  labors  met  with  warm  ap 
proval  from  Grandma  Elsie,  the  captain,  and 
Violet.  Grace  and  Elsie  Eaymond,  too,  ex 
pressed  themselves  as  highly  pleased,  while  Ned 
•quite  went  into  raptures  at  the  sight  of  so  fine 
a  display  of  the  "  Star-spangled  Banner." 

"Now,  Cousin  Eonald,"  he  exclaimed,  turn 
ing  to  Mr.  Lilburn,  "  don't  you  think  it  is  the 
-very  prettiest  flag  that  floats?  " 

"  As  bonny  a  one  as  ever  I  saw,  laddie,"  re 
sponded  the  old  gentleman  with  a  genial  smib. 
""  And  don't  you  know  that  having  adopted  this 


ELSIE  IN  TEE  SOUTH. 

as  my  country,  I  now  consider  it  as  truly  my  ain 
banner  as  it  is  yours?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  sir,  and  I  like  you  to,"  returned 
Ned  with  a  pleased  look.  "I  like  this  to  be 
your  country  as  well  as  mine." 

"  It's  a  grand  country,  laddie,"  was  the  pleas 
ant-toned  response,  "  and  the  native  land  of  my 
bonny  young  wife  and  the  dear  little  bairns  of 
my  son  Hugh;  so  I  may  well  give  it  a  share  of 
my  affection." 

The  weather  continued  fine,  all  the  prepa 
rations  were  carried  forward  successfully,  and 
by  noon  of  the  next  day  the  Percivals  were 
ready  to  enjoy  a  brief  stay  at  Viamede  and 
gaining  strength,  but  carefully  attended  and 
watched  over  by  his  cousin  Harold,  and  Maud 
full  of  life  and  gayety  because  of  his  improve 
ment  and  the  pleasant  prospect  before  them. 
It  would  be  so  delightful,  she  thought  and  said, 
to  see  her  old  home  and  friends  and  acquaint 
ances  about  there,  Dick  taking  his  ease  among 
them  all  for  a  time;  and  then  to  spend  some- 
weeks  or*  months,  farther  north,  enjoying  sea 
breezes  and  sea  bathing. 


290  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

All  the  cousins,  older  and  younger,  from 
Magnolia  Hall  and  the  Parsonage  were  gath 
ered  there  before  the  hour  when  the  boat  bring 
ing  their  bride  and  groom  might  be  expected, 
and  as  it  rounded  to  at  the  wharf  quite  a 
little  crowd  could  be  seen  waiting  to  receive 
them. 

The  Johnsons  had  not  been  apprised  of  the 
reception  awaiting  them  and  were  expecting  to 
go  on  immediately  to  Torriswood,  but  the  boat 
was  hailed  and  stopped  by  Chester,  and  at  the 
same  time  seeing  the  festive  preparations  and 
the  assemblage  of  relatives,  they  understood 
what  was  going  on  and  expected,  and  stepped 
quickly  ashore,  where  glad  greetings  were  ex 
changed;  then  all  moved  on  to  the  house  where 
Dr.  Percival  lay  in  a  hammock  on  the  front 
veranda. 

"  Oh,  Dick,  dear  fellow,  are  you  still  unable 
to  move  about?  "  asked  Dr.  Johnson,  grasping 
his  hand  and  looking  down  into  his  thin,  pale 
face  with  eyes  that  filled  with  tears  in  spite  of 
himself. 

"  Oh,  I'll  soon  be  all  right,  Bob;  though  if  it 
hadn't  been  for  Harold  here,"  giving  the  latter 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  291 

a  warmly  affectionate  glance,  "  I  doubt  if  you 
would  have  found  a  partner  in  your  practice  on. 
your  return." 

"  In  that  case  I  am  certainly  under  great  ob 
ligations  to  you,  Harold,"  Eobert  said  with  feel 
ing,  as  he  and  Harold  grasped  hands  with 
cousinly  warmth.  "  You  could  hardly  have 
done  me  a  greater  service." 

"  Don't  talk  of  obligations,"  said  Harold  with 
emotion.  "Dick  and  you  and  I  are  not  only 
all  members  of  the  same  profession,  but  all  near 
kinsmen;  so  that  Dick  had  a  double  and  strong 
elaim  upon  me  and  my  services." 

"  And  we  all  think  he  needs  a  change,"  said 
Maud,  standing  near,  "  and  so,  by  Cousin  Elsie's 
kind  invitation,  we  are  going  with  her  and  the 
rest,  in  the  captain's  yacht,  to  visit  them  and 
our  old  homes;  then  on  farther  North  to  the 
seashore." 

"  The  very  best  thing  that  could  be  done,  I 
think,"  said  Robert;  "  it  certainly  is  Dick's  turn 
to  have  a  holiday  while  I  stay  and  attend  to  our 
practice." 

The  mirth,  jollity,  and  feasting  that  followed, 
filling  up  the  rest  of  the  day,  were  very  similar 


-292  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

to  those  of  the  day  of  the  wedding,  weeks  be 
fore. 

Dr.  Pereival  was  still  feeble,  and  Mrs.  Tra- 
villa  had  some  arrangements  to  make  in  regard 
to  the  conduct  of  affairs  at  Viamede  after  her 
departure,  which  together  made  it  best  to  delay 
for  a  few  days.  But  at  length  all  was  ready, 
the  good-byes  were  said,  and  the  return  journey 
to  their  northern  homes  was  begun. 

As  had  been  planned  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dinsmore 
took  the  cars  at  New  Orleans,  while  the 
Dolphin,  bearing  the  remaining  members  of 
their  party,  passed  from  west  to  east  along  the 
-Gulf  of  Mexico,  around  the  southern  coast  of 
Tlorida  and  up  its  eastern  coast  and  that  of  the 
{Darolinas.  Quite  a  voyage,  but  neither  tedious 
nor  tiresome  to  the  passengers,  so  pleasant  did 
they  find  each  other's  society  and  the  variety  of 
books  and  sports  provided  for  their  entertain 
ment. 

During  the  greater  part  of  the  voyage  the 
•weather  was  pleasant  enough  to  allow  them  to 
spend  the  most  of  their  days  upon  deck,  where 
they  could  walk  about  or  sit  and  chat  beneath 
an  awning. 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  293 

"  Grandma/'  said  little  Elsie,  coming  to  Mrs. 
Travilla's  side  one  morning  as  she  sat  on  deck 
busied  with  a  bit  of  fancy  work,  "  would  it 
trouble  you  to  talk  to  Ned  and  me  a  little 
while?" 

"  No,  dear,"  was  the  smiling  reply,  "  but 
•what  is  it  that  you  wish  to  hear  from  me?  " 

"  Something  about  General  Marion,  grand 
ma,  if  you  please.  I  know  a  little  about  him 
and  admire  him  very  much  indeed.  He  was  a 
South  Carolina  man,  I  know,  and  when  I  heard 
papa  say  a  while  ago  that  we  were  on  the  South 
•Carolina  coast,  it  made  me  think  of  Marion  and 
that  I  should  be  very  glad  to  hear  something 
more  of  what  he  did  in  the  Kevolution." 

"  And  so  would  I,  grandma;  ever  so  much," 
added  Ned,  who  was  close  at  his  sister's  side. 

"  Then  sit  down,  one  on  each  side  of  me,  and 
I  will  tell  you  some  things  that  I  have  read 
about  General  Francis  Marion,  one  of  the 
boldest,  most  energetic,  and  faithful  patriots  of 
the  Revolution.  He  was  born  in  South  Caro 
lina  in  1732,  and  it  is  said  was  so  small  a  baby 
that  he  might  have  been  easily  put  into  a  quart 
pot." 


294  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

"  He  must  have  had  to  grow  a  good  deal  be 
fore  he  could  be  a  soldier,  grandma/'  laughed 
Ned. 

"  Yes,  but  he  had  forty-three  years  to  do  it 
in/'  said  Elsie. 

"  That  many  years  before  the  ^Revolutionary 
War  began/'  said  her  grandma,  "but  he  was 
only  twenty-seven  when  he  became  a  soldier  by 
joining  an  expedition  against  the  Cherokees 
and  other  hostile  Indian  tribes  on  the  western 
frontier  of  his  State.  When  the  Eevolution  be 
gan  he  was  made  a  captain  in  the  second  South 
Carolina  regiment.  He  fought  in  the  battle  at 
Fort  Sullivan,  on  Sullivan's  Island,  in  the  con 
test  at  Savannah,  and  many  another.  He  or 
ganized  a  brigade  and  became  brigadier  of  the 
militia  of  South  Carolina.  After  the  battle  of 
Eutaw  he  became  senator  in  the  Legislature, 
but  soon  went  back  into  the  army  and  remained 
there  till  the  close  of  the  war." 

"  Grandma,  didn't  he  and  his  soldiers  camp 
in  the  swamps  a  good  deal  of  the  time?  "  asked 
Elsie. 

"  Yes;  and  often  had  but  little  to  eat — some 
times  sweet  potatoes  only,  and  but  a  scant 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  295 

supply  of  them.  A  story  is  told  of  a  young 
British  officer  from  Georgetown  coming  to  treat 
with  him  respecting  prisoners,  when  Marion 
was  camping  on  Snow's  Island — at  the  con 
fluence  of  the  Pedee  River  and  Lynch's  Creek. 
The  Briton  was  led  blindfolded  to  Marion's 
camp.  There  for  the  first  time  he  saw  that 
general — a  small  man — with  groups  of  his  men 
about  him,  lounging  under  the  magnificent 
trees  draped  with  moss.  When  they  had  con 
cluded  their  business  Marion  invited  the  Eng 
lishman  to  dine  with  him.  The  invitation  was 
accepted,  and  great  was  the  astonishment  of  the 
guest  when  the  dinner  was  served;  only  some 
roasted  potatoes  on  a  piece  of  bark.  '  Surely, 
general,'  he  said,  '  this  cannot  be  your  ordinary 
fare? '  '  Indeed  it  is,'  replied  Marion,  '  and  we 
are  fortunate  on  this  occasion,  entertaining 
compan}',  to  have  more  than  our  usual  al 
lowance.' 

"  It  is  said  that  the  young  officer  gave  up  his 
commission  on  his  return,  saying  that  such  a 
people  could  not,  and  ought  not  to  be  subdued." 

"  Marion  and  his  men  must  have  loved  their 
country  and  liberty  to  be  willing  to  live  in 


296  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

swamps  with  nothing  but  potatoes  to  eat,"  said 
Elsie;  "it  makes  me  think  of  the  stories  I've 
read  and  heard  about  Eobin  Hood  and  his- 
merry  men." 

"  Yes,"  said  her  grandmother,  "  and  Lossing 
tells  us  Marion's  men  were  as  devoted  to  him  ns 
those  of  Eobin  Hood  were  to  their  leader.  Our 
poet  Bryant  has  drawn  a  telling  picture  of  that 
noble  band  in  his 

"  SONG  OF  MARION'S  MEN. 

"  Our  band  is  few,  but  true  and  tried, 

Our  leader  frank  and  bold; 
The  British  soldier  trembles 

When  Marion's  name  is  told. 
Our  fortress  is  the  good  greenwood. 

Our  tent  the  cypress-tree; 
We  know  the  forest  round  us 

As  seamen  know  the  sea. 
We  know  its  walls  of  thorny  vines,. 

Its  glades  of  reedy  grass; 
Its  safe  and  silent  islands 

Within  the  dark  morass. 

"  Woe  to  the  English  soldiery, 

That  little  dread  us  near! 
On  them  shall  light  at  midnight 

A  strange  and  sudden  fear; 
When,  waking  to  their  tents  on  fire, 

They  grasp  their  arms  in  vain, 
And  they  who  stand  to  face  us 

Are  beat  to  earth  again; 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  297 

And  they  who  fly  in  terror  deem 

A  mighty  host  behind, 
And  hear  the  tramp  of  thousands 

Upon  the  hollow  wind. 

*'  Then  sweet  the  hour  that  brings  release 

From  danger  and  from  toil; 
We  talk  the  battle  over, 

And  share  the  battle's  spoil. 
The  woodland  rings  with  laugh  and  shout, 

As  if  a  hunt  were  up, 
And  woodland  flowers  are  gather'd 

To  crown  the  soldier's  cup. 
"With  merry  songs  we  mock  the  wind 

That  in  the  pine-top  grieves, 
And  slumber  long  and  sweetly 

On  beds  of  oaken  leaves. 

*'  Well  knows  the  fair  and  friendly  moon 

The  band  that  Marion  leads — 
The  glitter  of  their  rifles. 

The  scampering  of  their  steeds. 
'Tis  life  to  guide  the  fiery  barb 

Across  the  moonlight  plain; 
'Tis  life  to  feel  the  night  wind 

That  lifts  his  tossing  mane. 
A  moment  in  the  British  camp — 

A  moment — and  away 
Back  to  the  pathless  forest, 

Before  the  peep  of  day. 

*'  Grave  men  there  are  by  broad  Santee, 

Grave  men  with  hoary  hairs, 

Their  hearts  are  all  with  Marion, 

For  Marion  are  their  prayers. 


298  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

And  lovely  ladies  greet  our  band 

With  kindliest  welcoming, 
With  smiles  like  those  of  summer, 

With  tears  like  those  of  spring. 
For  them  we  wear  these  trusty  arms, 

And  lay  them  down  no  more 
Till  we  have  driven  the  Briton 

Forever  from  our  shore. " 


"And  we  did  drive  the  British  away — or 
Marion  and  his  men,  and  the  rest  of  our  brave 
soldiers  did,"  exclaimed  Ned  when  the  recita 
tion  of  the  poem  was  finished,  "  didn't  they, 
grandma?" 

"Yes,  Neddie  boy,  God  helped  us  to  get  .free 
and  become  the  great  nation  which  we  are  to 
day;  and  to  him  let  us  give  all  the  glory  and  the 
praise." 

"  Yes,  grandma,  I  know  that  even  those  brave 
and  good  fighters  couldn't  have  done  it  if  God 
hadn't  helped  them.  Did  Marion  live  long 
after  the  war  was  over?  " 

"  About  a  dozen  years.  He  died  on  the  29th 
of  February,  1795.  We  are  told  his  last  words 
were,  *  Thank  God,  since  I  came  to  man's  es 
tate  I  have  never  intentionally  done  wrong  to 
any  man.' " 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  299 

"  And  is  that  all  the  story  about  him?  "  asked 
Ned  regretfully. 

"  Enough  for  the  present,  I  think,"  replied 
his  grandma;  "  when  you  are  older  you  can 
read  of  him  in  history  for  yourself.  However, 
some  of  his  work  will  come  in  incidentally  as  I 
go  on  with  some  other  historical  sketches.  I 
want  to  tell  you  something  of  Mrs.  Rebecca 
Motte — one  of  the  brave  and  patriotic  women 
living  in  South  Carolina  at  that  time — and  the 
doings  of  the  British  and  Americans  on  her 
estate. 

"  Mrs.  Motte  was  a  rich  widow.  She  had  a 
fine  large  mansion  occupying  a  commanding 
position  on  the  road  between  Charleston  and 
Camden.  The  British,  knowing  that  she  was  a 
patriot,  drove  her  and  her  family  from  their 
home  to  a  farmhouse  which  she  owned,  upon  a 
hill  north  of  her  mansion,  into  which  they  put 
a  garrison  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  men  under 
Captain  M'Pherson,  a  brave  British  officer. 

"  Early  in  May  he  was  joined  by  a  small  de 
tachment  of  dragoons  sent  from  Charleston 
with  despatches  for  Lord  Rawdon.  They  were 
about  to  leave  when  Marion  and  Lee,  with  their 


300  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

troops,  were  seen  upon  the  height  at  the  farm 
house  where  Mrs.  Motte  was  now  living.  So- 
the  dragoons  remained  to  give  their  help  in  the 
defense  of  the  fort. 

"  Lee  took  position  at  the  farmhouse,  and  his 
men,  with  a  fieldpiece  which  General  Greene 
had  sent  them,  were  stationed  on  the  eastern 
slope  of  the  high  plain  on  which  Fort  Motte 
stood.  Marion  at  once  threw  up  a  mound  and 
planted  the  fieldpiece  upon  it  in  a  position  to 
rake  the  northern  face  of  the  parapet  of  the  fort 
against  which  Lee  was  about  to  move. 

"  M'Pherson  was  without  artillery.  Between 
Port  Motte  and  the  height  where  Lee  was- 
posted  was  a  narrow  valley  which  enabled  his 
men  to  come  within  a  few  hundred  yards  of  the 
fort.  From  that  they  began  to  advance  by  o 
parallel — a  wide  trench — and  by  the  10th  of  the 
month  they  were  so  far  successful  that  they  felt 
warranted  in  demanding  a  surrender.  They 
sent  a  summons  to  M'Pherson,  but  he  gallantly 
refused  to  comply. 

"  That  evening  our  men  heard  that  Lord 
Rawdon  had  retreated  from  Camden,  was  com 
ing  in  that  direction,  and  would  relieve  Fort 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  301 

Motte.  The  next  morning  beacon  fires  could 
be  seen  on  the  high  hills  of  Santee,  and  that 
night  the  besieged  were  greatly  rejoiced  to  see- 
their  gleam  on  the  highest  ground  of  the  coun 
try  opposite  Fort  Motte.  They  were  delighted,, 
but  soon  found  that  they  had  rejoiced  too 
soon. 

"  Lee  proposed  a  quicker  plan  for  dislodging" 
them  than  had  been  thought  of  before.  Mrs. 
Motte's  mansion,  in  the  center  of  their  worksr 
was  covered  with  a  roof  of  shingles  now  very 
dry,  as  there  had  been  no  rain  for  several  day& 
and  the  heat  of  the  sun  had  been  great.  Lee's 
idea  was  to  set  those  shingles  on  fire  and  so- 
drive  the  enemy  out.  He  had  been  enjoying 
Mrs.  Motte's  hospitality  and  her  only  marriage 
able  daughter  was  the  wife  of  a  friend  of  his, 
so  he  was  very  loath  to  destroy  her  property,, 
but  on  telling  her  his  plan,  he  was  much  re 
lieved  to  find  that  she  was  not  only  willing,  but 
desirous  to  serve  her  country  by  the  sacrifice  of 
her  property. 

"  He  then  told  his  plan  to  Marion  and  they 
made  haste  to  execute  it.  It  was  proposed  to 
set  the  roof  on  fire  with  lighted  torches  at- 


302  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

tached  to  arrows  which  should  be  shot  against 
it.  Mrs.  Motte,  seeing  that  the  arrows  the  men 
were  preparing  were  not  very  good,  brought  out 
a.  fine  bow  and  bundle  of  arrows  which  had 
come  from  the  East  Indies,  and  gave  them  to 
Lee. 

"  The  next  morning  Lee  again  sent  a  flag  of 
truce  to  M'Pherson,  the  bearer  telling  him  that 
Eawdon  had  not  yet  crossed  the  Santee,  and 
that  immediate  surrender  would  save  many 
lives. 

"But  M'Pherson  still  refused,  and  at  noon 
Nathan  Savage,  a  private  in  Marion's  brigade, 
shot  toward  the  house  several  arrows  with 
lighted  torches  attached.  Two  struck  the  dry 
shingles  and  instantly  a  bright  flame  was  creep 
ing  along  the  roof.  Soldiers  were  sent  up  to 
knock  off  the  shingles  and  put  out  the  fire,  but 
a  few  shots  from  Marion's  battery  raked  the 
loft  and  drove  them  below.  Then  M'Pherson 
hung  out  a  white  flag,  the  Americans  ceased 
firing,  the  flames  were  put  out,  and  at  one 
o'clock  the  garrison  surrendered  themselves 
prisoners  of  war. 

"  Then  Mrs.  Motte  invited  both  the  Ameri- 


ELSIE  IN  TEE  SOUTH.  303" 

can  and  the  British  officers  to  a  sumptuous 
dinner  which  she  had  had  made  ready  for 
them." 

Grace  Raymond  had  drawn  near  and  was; 
listening  in  a  very  interested  way  to  the  story 
as  told  by  Mrs.  Travilla. 

"  Grandma  Elsie,"  she  said  as  that  lady 
paused  in  her  narrative,  "do  you  remember  a 
little  talk  between  the  American  and  British 
officers  at  that  dinner  of  Mrs.  Motte's?  " 

"  I  am  not  sure  that  I  do,"  was  the  reply.. 
"  Can  you  repeat  it  for  us?  " 

"  I  think  I  can  give  at  least  the  substance,"" 
said  Grace.  "  One  of  the  prisoners  was  an  offi 
cer  named  Captain  Ferguson.  He  was  seated 
near  Colonel  Horry,  one  of  our  American  offi 
cers.  Addressing  him,  Ferguson  said,  '  You 
are  Colonel  Horry,  I  presume,  sir? '  Horry  re 
plied  that  he  was  and  Ferguson  went  on,  '  Well,, 
I  was  with  Colonel  Watson  when  he  fought 
your  General  Marion  on  Sampit.  I  think  I 
saw  you  there  with  a  party  of  horse,  and  also  at 
Nelson's  Ferry,  when  Marion  surprised  our 
party  at  the  house.  But  I  was  hid  in  high 
grass  and  escaped.  You  were  fortunate  in  your 


504  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

•escape  at  Sampit,  for  Watson  and  Small  had 
•twelve  hundred  men.' 

"  '  If  so/  said  Horry,  e  I  certainly  was  fortu 
nate,  for  I  did  not  suppose  they  had  more  than 
naif  that  number/  Then  Ferguson  said,  'I 
consider  myself  equally  fortunate  in  escaping 
at  Nelson's  Old  Field/ 

" c  Truly  you  were/  Horry  returned  sarcas 
tically,  'for  Marion  had  but  thirty  militia  on 
that  occasion/  The  other  officers  at  the  table 
could  not  refrain  from  laughing.  General 
Greene  afterward  asked  Horry  how  he  came  to 
•affront  Captain  Ferguson,  and  Horry  answered 
that  he  affronted  himself  by  telling  his  own 
story/  " 

"  Ah,  I  think  our  soldiers  were  the  bravest," 
•was  little  Elsie's  comment  upon  that  anecdote. 

"  Yes,"  said  her  grandma,  "  probably  because 
they  were  fighting  for  liberty  and  home." 

"Please,  grandma,  tell  us  another  Kevolu- 
tionary  story,"  pleaded  Ned. 

"  Did  you  ever  hear  the  story  of  what  Emily 
•Geiger  did  for  the  good  cause?"  asked  Grand- 
ana  Elsie  in  reply. 

"No,  ma'am;  won't  you  please  tell  it?" 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  3 OS 

"  Yes.  Emily  was  the  daughter  of  a  German- 
planter  in  Fairfield  District.  She  was  not 
more  than  eighteen  years  old,  but  very  brave. 
General  Greene  had  an  important  message  to 
send  to  Sumter,  but  because  of  the  danger  from 
the  numbers  of  Tories  and  British  likely  to  b* 
encountered  on  the  way  none  of  his  men* 
seemed  willing  to  take  it;  therefore  he  was  de 
lighted  when  this  young  girl  came  forward  ani 
offered  to  carry  his  letter  to  Sumter.  But  fear 
ing  she  might  lose  it  on  the  way,  he  made  her 
acquainted  with  its  contents. 

"  She  mounted  a  fleet  horse,  crossed  the^ 
Wateree  at  the  Camden  Ferry,  and  hastened  on 
toward  Sumter's  camp.  On  the  second  day  of 
her  journey,  while  passing  through  a  dry 
swamp,  she  was  stopped  and  made  prisoner  by 
some  Tory  scouts,  who  suspected  her  because* 
she  came  from  the  direction  of  Greene's  army. 
They  took  her  to  a  house  on  the  edge  of  the 
swamp  and  shut  her  up  in  a  room,  while  they 
sent  for  a  woman  to  search  her  person. 

"  Emily  was  by  no  means  willing  to  have  the 
letter  found  upon  her  person,  so  as  soon  as  left 
alone  she  began  tearing  it  up  and  swallowing  it 


306  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

piece  by  piece.  After  a  while  the  woman  came 
and  searched  her  carefully,  but  found  noth 
ing  to  criminate  the  girl,  as  the  last  piece 
•of  the  letter  had  already  gone  down  her 
throat. 

"  Her  captors,  now  convinced  of  her  inno 
cence,  made  many  apologies  and  allowed  her  to 
go  on  her  way.  She  reached  Sumter's  camp, 
gave  him  Greene's  message,  and  soon  the  British 
under  Eawdon  were  flying  before  the  Ameri 
cans  toward  Orangeburg." 

"  Is  that  all,  grandma?  "  asked  Ned,  as  Mrs. 
Travilla  paused  and  glanced  up  smilingly  at 
Captain  Eaymond,  who  now  drew  near. 

"All  for  the  present,  Neddie,"  she  replied. 
"  Some  other  time  I  may  perhaps  think  of  other 
incidents  to  give  you." 

"  Ah,  mother,  so  you  have  been  kindly  enter 
taining  my  children,  who  are  great  lovers  of 
stories,"  remarked  the  captain.  "I  hope  they 
have  not  been  too  exacting  in  their  entreaties 
for  such  amusement?  " 

"Oh,  no,"  she  replied;  "they  wanted  some 
episodes  in  the  history  of  the  State  we  are  pass 
ing,  and  I  have  been  giving  them  some  account 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  307 

of  the  gallant  deeds  of  General  Marion  and 
others." 

"  He  was  a  brave,  gallant  man,  was  Francis 
Marion,  thoroughly,  patriotic,  and  one  of  the 
finest  characters  of  that  time;  a  countryman  of 
whom  we  may  well  be  proud,"  remarked  the 
captain,  speaking  with  earnestness  and  enthu 
siasm;  "  and  with  it  all  he  was  most  humane;  a 
great  contrast  to  some  of  the  British  officers 
who  burnt  houses,  robbed  and  wronged  women, 
and  children — rendering  them  shelterless,  strip 
ping  them  of  all  clothes  except  those  they  wore,, 
not  to  speak  of  even  worse  acts  of  barbarity. 
Bancroft  tells  us  that  when  the  British  were 
burning  houses  on  the  Little  Pedee,  Marion 
permitted  his  men  of  that  district  to  go  home 
and  protect  their  wives  and  families;  but  that 
he  would  not  suffer  retaliation  and  wrote  with 
truth,  '  There  is  not  one  house  burned  by  my 
orders  or  by  any  of  my  people.  It  is  what 
I  detest,  to  distress  poor  women  and  chil 
dren/  " 

"  I  am  proud  of  him  as  one  of  my  country 
men,"  said  Grace.  "He  was  sometimes  called 
'  The  swamp  Fox/  was  he  not,  papa?  " 


308  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

"  Yes;  the  swamps  were  his  usual  place  of 
refuge  and  camping  ground." 

"I  admire  him  very  much  and  like  to  hear 
about  him  and  all  he  did  for  our  country,"  said 
little  Elsie;  "  but  I  am  glad  and  thankful  that 
I  didn't  live  in  those  dreadful  war  times." 

"  As  you  well  may  be,  my  dear  child,"  said 
her  father.  "We  cannot  be  too  thankful  for 
the  liberty  we  enjoy  in  these  days  and  which 
was  largely  won  for  us  by  Marion  and  other 
brave  and  gallant  patriots  of  those  darker  days. 
They,  and  our  debt  of  gratitude  to  them,  should 
2iever  be  forgotten  or  ignored," 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

THE  Dolphin's  passengers  greatly  enjoyed 
their  voyage  up  the  Atlantic  coast,  yet  were  not 
sorry  when  they  reached  their  desired  haven — 
the  city  within  a  few  miles  of  their  homes. 

Dr.  Percival  had  gained  strength  every  day 
.and  now  could  go  about  very  well  with  the 
Jielp  of  a  friend's  arm  or  a  cane,  and  spent  but 
a  part  of  his  time  lounging  in  an  easy-chair  or 
resting  upon  a  couch. 

A  telegram  had  carried  to  their  home  friends 
ihe  information  that  they  expected  to  reach 
port  on  that  day,  and  carriages  were  there  in 
waiting  to  convey  them  to  their  several  places 
of  abode. 

Dr.  Conly  had  come  for  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Perci 
val,  as  had  also  Mr.  Dinsmore  from  the  Oaks; 
the  one  claiming  that  Roselands  was  Dick's  old 
home,  therefore  undoubtedly  the  proper  place 
for  him  at  present — the  other  that  Maud  be 
longed  at  the  Oaks  and  of  course  her  husband 

309 


310  ELSIE  IN  TEE  SOUTH. 

with  her.  Grandma  Elsie  had  already  given 
them  a  warm  invitation  to  Ion,  and  Captain 
Eaymond  and  Violet  the  same  to  Woodburn. 
It  seemed  a  little  difficult  to  decide  which  had 
the  prior  claim.  Dr.  Harold  said  it  should  he 
Ion  first  in  order  that  he  might  still  have  his 
patient  where  he  could  keep  continued  and 
careful  watch  over  him;  and  as  he  grew  hotter 
and  stronger  the  others  could  have  their  turns 
at  entertaining  him  and  Maud. 

To  that  Dick  laughingly  replied  that  he  was 
now  tolerably  used  to  obeying  Harold's  orders, 
so  should  submit  to  his  decision,  still  hoping 
that  in  time  he  and  Maud  might  have  the  pleas 
ure  of  accepting  the  other  invitations  in  turn. 

That  seemed  to  give  tolerable  satisfaction  as 
about  as  good  an  arrangement  as  could  well  be 
made. 

The  Becchwood  and  Woodburn  family  car 
riages  and  Max's  pony  were  there,  also  the  car 
riage  from  Fairview  for  Evelyn.  Max  helped 
her  into  it,  then  mounted  his  steed  and  rode 
alongside,  the  Woodburn  carriage  driving  a 
little  ahead  of  them,  while  the  other  vehicles 
were  somewhat  in  their  rear. 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  311 

All  reached  their  destinations  in  safety,  each 
party  receiving  a  joyful  welcome  on.  their  ar 
rival.  Chester,  after  a  brief  but  affectionate 
good-by,  "for  a  short  time,"  to  Lucilla,  had 
taken  a  seat  in  Mr.  Dinsmore's  carriage,  as  he 
and  his  brother  still  made  their  home  at  the 
Oaks.  Both  pairs  of  lovers  had  greatly  enjoyed 
their  daily  intercourse  upon  the  Dolphin  and 
gave  that  up  with  some  feeling  of  regret,  but 
comforted  themselves  with  the  thought  that 
twenty-four  hours  would  seldom  pass  without 
allowing  them  at  least  a  brief  interview. 

Bidding  good-by  to  Eva  at  the  gate  into  Fair- 
view  Avenue,  Max  rode  rapidly  onward  and 
entered  the  Woodburn  grounds  just  in  the  rear 
of  his  father's  carriage,  then  dismounted  at  the 
veranda  in  time  to  take  part  in  assisting  the 
ladies  and  children  to  alight. 

"  Oh,  how  delightful  it  is  to  be  at  home 
again! "  exclaimed  Grace,  dancing  about  and 
gazing  this  way  and  that  into  the  beautifully 
kept  grounds.  "I  am  always  glad  to  go,  but 
still  gladder  to  get  back." 

"And  so  am  I,"  "And  I,"  exclaimed  the 
younger  ones. 


312  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

"  And  I  am  as  glad  as  anybody  else,  I  think,'r 
said  Max,  "though  I  should  not  be  if  I  were 
here  alone — without  father,  Mamma  Vi,  and 
the  sisters  and  little  brother." 

"No,  indeed!  the  dear  ones  make  more  than 
half  of  home,"  Lucilla  said  with  a  loving- 
glance  around  upon  the  others,  then  one  of 
ardent  affection  up  into  her  father's  face. 

"  Yes,"  said  Grace,  "  father  alone  is  more 
than  half  of  home  to  each  and  every  one  of  us.'* 

An  assertion  which  no  one  was  in  the  least 
inclined  to  contradict. 

"  He  certainly  is  to  me — his  wife,"  said  Vio 
let,  giving  him  a  look  that  spoke  volumes  of  re 
spect  and  love. 

"  And  I  certainly  know  of  no  man  who  has 
less  reason  to  complain  of  the  lack  of  apprecia 
tion  by  his  nearest  and  dearest,"  responded  the* 
captain  in  tones  slightly  tremulous  with  feeling, 
and  a  look  of  fond,  proud  affection,  first  at  his> 
wife,  then  at  his  children,  each  in  turn. 

"  This  is  certainly  a  happy  home-coming  to 
us  all,"  said  Max,  "  to  me  in  especial,  I  thinkr 
as  the  one  who  has  seen  so  little  of  it  for  years 
past.  It  is  to  me  the  dearest  spot  on  earth; 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  313 

though  it  would  not  be  without  the  dear  ones  it 
holds." 

But  housekeeper  and  servants  had  now  come 
crowding  about  with  glad  greetings,  which  were 
warmly  returned,  and  then  the  family  scattered 
to  their  rooms  to  prepare  for  the  dinner  just 
ready  to  be  served. 

All  our  returned  travellers  were  received  with 
joyful  greetings  at  their  homes,  not  excepting 
Dr.  Harold  Tra villa  at  Ion;  and  all  there 
seemed  to  rejoice  that  they  were  to  be  the  first 
to  entertain  the  cousins — Dr.  Percival  and' 
Maud.  They  were  warmly  welcomed  and 
speedily  installed  in  most  comfortable  quarters 
— a  suite  of  beautifully  furnished  apartments — 
on  the  ground  floor,  that  Dick  might  be  spared 
the  exertion  of  going  up  and  down  even  the 
easiest  flight  of  stairs.  They  were  more  than 
content. 

"  We  seem  to  have  come  into  a  haven  of  rest, 
Maud,  my  love,"  Dick  remarked  as  he  lay  back 
in  his  reclining  chair,  and  gazed  about  with 
•eyes  that  kindled  with  joy  and  admiration. 

"Yes,  my  dear,"  laughed  Maud,  "it  would 
seem  almost  appropriate  to  put  another  letter 


314  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

into  that  noun  and  call  it  a  heaven — so  beauti 
ful  and  tasteful  is  everything  around  us." 

"  Yes;  I  wish  everybody  had  as  good,  kind, 
capable,  and  helpful  friends  and  relatives  as 
ours,  and  as  able  to  give  them  such  royal  enter 
tainment." 

"  Cousin  Elsie  is  the  very  person  to  have 
large  means,"  said  Maud,  "  for  she  seems  to  be 
always  thinking  of  others  and  what  she  can  da 
for  their  comfort  and  happiness.  There  is  not 
a  particle  of  selfishness  or  self-righteousnes& 
about  her." 

"  I  heartily  agree  with  you  there,"  said  Dick. 
"  I  have  known  her  since  I  was  the  merest  child 
and  she  has  always  seemed  to  live  to  do  good 
and  show  kindness  to  all  around  her.  She  evi 
dently  looks  upon  her  wealth  as  simply  a  trust 
— something  the  Lord  has  put  into  her  hands 
to  be  used  for  his  glory  and  the  good  of  her  fel 
low  creatures." 

"  I  am  sure  you  are  right  about  that,"  said 
Maud.  "  And  her  children  resemble  her  in  it. 
What  could  have  exceeded  the  kindness  of 
Cousins  Harold  and  Herbert — Cousin  Arthur 
Conly,  too — when  you  were  so  ill?  Oh,  Dick 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  315 

dear,  I  thought  I  was  going  to  lose  you!  Oh, 
how  could  I  ever  have  borne  that?  "  she  added 
with  a  sob;  "  and  I  am  sure  you  and  I  owe  your 
life  to  their  skilful  treatment,  their  untiring 
•care  and  devotion." 

"  We  do  indeed,"  he  said  with  emotion;  "  but 
ior  their  untiring  efforts  and  God's  blessing 
upon  them  I  should  now  be  under  the  sod — and 
my  darling  a  widow,"  he  added  tenderly  and  in 
quivering  tones,  drawing  her  down  to  give  her  a 
fond  caress.  "  And  how  kind  Vi  and  her  hus 
band  have  been,"  he  went  on.  "  The  captain  is 
a  grand  good  man  and  quite  as  anxious  to  use 
all  he  has  for  the  glory  of  God  and  the  good  of 
his  fellow  creatures  as  dear  Cousin  Elsie 
herself." 

"  Yes;  I  don't  wonder  his  wife  and  children 
love  him  so  dearly;  and  I  could  hardly  love 
him  better  were  he  my  own  brother,"  said 
Maud.  "I  am  so  glad  he  and  Cousin  Violet 
iancied  each  other  and  married  when  they  did." 

"Yes,  they  are  the  most  enjoyable  of  rela 
tives  to  us  and  very  happy  in  each  other." 

Here  their  bit  of  chat  was  interrupted  by  a 
tap  on  the  door  opening  into  the  hall.  Dr. 


316  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

Harold  had  come  to  say  that  dinner  was  on  the 
table,  and  ask  if  his  patient  felt  able,  and  if 
it  would  be  enjoyable  to  join  the  family  at  their 
meal. 

"  Indeed  I  should  like  it,"  was  Dick's  prompt 
response,  "and  I  think  too  that  I  am  entirely 
equal  to  the  exertion." 

"  Perhaps  even  with  only  your  cane,  if  I  give 
you  the  support  of  my  arm,"  suggested  Harold. 

"  Thank  you,  yes,"  returned  Dick,  with  a 
pleased  look,  as  Harold  assisted  him  to  rise  and 
Maud  handed  him  his  cane. 

So  the  little  journey  was  made  successfully 
and  the  social  meal  greatly  enjoyed.  At  ite 
conclusion  Harold  assisted  Dr.  Percival  to  his 
couch  again,  where  he  lay  down,  just  weary- 
enough  to  take  a  long,  refreshing  nap. 

On  leaving  the  table,  Grandma  Elsie  went  to 
the  telephone  and  called  to  Woodburn.  Violet 
answered,  "What  is  it,  mother?"  and  re 
ceived  the  reply,  "I  expect  the  whole  connec 
tion  here  to  take  tea  and  spend  the  evening,  and 
I  want  you  all  to  come." 

The  captain,  standing  near,  heard  the  mes 
sage  also,  and  ae  Violet  turned  inquiringly  to- 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  317 

him,  "  Surely  there  is  nothing  to  prevent  any 
of  us  from  going,"  he  said,  and  she  at  once  an 
swered,  "  Thank  you,  mother,  you  may  expect 
us  all." 

The  same  invitation  had  been  already  sent  to, 
and  accepted  by,  the  others,  and  some  time  be 
fore  the  tea  hour  they  were  all  there,  glad  to 
meet  and  exchange  greetings,  and  chat  about 
all  that  had  occurred  since  they  last  saw  each 
other.  And  Dr.  Percival,  refreshed  and 
strengthened  by  his  dinner  and  a  long,  sound 
sleep  after  it,  was  able  to  enjoy  it  all,  perhaps  as 
keenly  as  anyone  else.  They  talked  of  what 
ever  had  occurred  among  them  during  the  time 
that  they  had  been  separated,  and  of  their  plans 
for  the  coming  heated  term — who  would  pass  it 
at  home  and  who  go  North  to  find  a  cooler  cli 
mate.  But  it  was  not  necessary  to  decide  fully 
upon  their  plans,  as  some  weeks  must  elapse  ere 
carrying  them  out  and  there  would  be  a  good 
deal  of  intercourse  among  them  in  the  mean 
time. 

They  scattered  to  their  homes  early  in  the 
evening  that  Dr.  Percival  might  not  be  kept  up 
or  awake,  and  that  the  little  ones  might  be 


318  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

safely  and  in  good  season  bestowed  in  their 
nests  for  the  night. 

Dr.  Percival  improved  rapidly  in  the  next  few 
weeks;  so  rapidly  that  he  was  able  to  make  a 
visit  to  Koselands,  the  Oaks,  and  Woodburn, 
each  in  turn,  and  felt  that  he  should  greatly  en 
joy  the  journey  to  the  North  and  the  sojourn  by 
the  seaside  there  which  awaited  him,  his  wife, 
and  friends. 

Our  two  pairs  of  lovers  went  quietly  and 
happily  on  with  their  courting,  considered 
plans  for  future  house-building  and  housekeep 
ing,  and  what  should  be  done  and  enjoyed  in 
the  meantime,  and  it  seemed  but  a  little  while 
till  they  were  again  on  board  the  Dolphin  and 
speeding  on  their  northward  course. 

It  was  the  same  party  that  had  come  in  her 
on  that  last  voyage  from  the  South.  Max  was 
still  in  the  enjoyment  of  his  furlough  and  by 
his  father's  request  now  took  command  of  the 
vessel;  but,  the  weather  being  fine  throughout 
the  voyage,  his  duties  were  not  arduous  and 
Evelyn  had  no  reason  to  complain  of  want  of 
attention  from  her  fiance.  Nor  had  Lucilla; 
Chester  being  seldom  absent  from  her  side  dur- 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  319 

ing  the  day  or  evening.  So  that  Captain  Kay- 
mond  began  to  feel  at  times  that  he  was  already 
losing — to  some  extent — his  eldest  daughter. 
He  sighed  over  it  to  himself,  but  made  no  com 
plaint  to  either  of  them. 

Lucilla's  affection  for  him  did  not  seem  to 
have  suffered  any  abatement;  as  had  been  her 
custom,  she  often  came  to  him  for  a  bit  of  pri 
vate  chat  early  in  the  morning  or  in  the  even 
ing  after  the  others  had  gone  to  their  state 
rooms;  and  in  these  private  interviews  she  was 
the  same  ardently  affectionate  daughter  she  had 
been  for  years;  so  that  he  felt  he  had  no  reason 
to  fear  that  her  lover  had  stolen  all  her  heart. 

But  she  was  very  keen-sighted  as  regarded 
him  and  his  feelings  toward  her.  One  evening 
as,  according  to  his  custom,  he  paced  the  deck 
after  all  the  passengers  had  retired  for  the 
night,  he  heard  her  light  step  at  his  side  and 
then  her  voice  asking  in  its  sweetest  tones, 
"Papa  dear,  mayn't  I  walk  with  you  for  at 
least  a  few  minutes?  I  am  neither  sleepy  nor 
tired,  and  it  is  so  seldom  now  that  I  can  have 
my  own  dear  father  all  to  myself." 

"Yes,  daughter  dear,"  he  said,  putting  an 


320  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

arm  about  her  and  caressing  her  with  tender~ 
ness.  "  I  am  very  glad  to  have  your  company 
if  it  is  not  going  to  weary  you  or  rob  you  of 
needed  sleep."  Then  he  drew  her  hand  within 
his  arm  and  they  paced  slowly  back  and  forth, 
conversing  in  subdued  tones. 

"  It  is  so  sweet  to  be  alone  with  you  once  in 
a  while,  my  own  dear  father,"  she  said.  "I 
think,  papa,  if  my  engagement  has  made  any 
change  in  my  feelings  toward  you  it  has  been  to 
make  you  seem  to  me  nearer  and  dearer,  if  pos 
sible,  than  ever.  Oh,  I  think  it  would  break 
my  heart  if  I  should  ever  have  to  go  so  far  away 
from  you  that  I  could  not  see  and  talk  with  you 
every  day! " 

"  Dear  child,  those  are  sweet  words  to  my 
ear,"  he  said  in  moved  tones,  "  and  I  am  most 
thankful  that,  so  far  as  we  can  see  into  the 
future,  there  seems  little  or  no  danger  that  we 
will  ever  be  so  separated  in  this  world." 

"Yes,  papa;  that  assurance  is  one  of  my 
greatest  joys.  And  I  am  so  glad  that  my  dear 
father  is  so  strong  and  well,  and  not  so  very 
old/'  she  added  with  a  smile  and  a  look  of  lov 
ing  admiration  up  into  his  face. 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  321 

"  I  am  not  very  young,  daughter,"  he  re 
turned  pleasantly,  "  though  I  think  my  natural 
strength  has  not  abated,  and  life  seems  as  en 
joyable  to  me  as  ever.  But  the  happy  thought 
is  that  God  our  heavenly  Father  rules  and 
reigns  and  shall  choose  all  our  changes  for  us; 
for  to  his  wisdom  and  love  there  is  no  limit. 
How  sweet  are  the  words,  '  I  have  loved  thee 
with  an  everlasting  love,'  '  As  the  Father 
hath  loved  me,  so  have  I  loved  you.'  If  we  are 
his  children  we  need  not  fear  to  trust  our  all  in 
his  hands.  We  need  not  desire  to  choose  for 
ourselves  as  regards  the  things  of  this  life,  or 
the  time  when  he  shall  call  us  to  our  heavenly 
home." 

"  That  is  a  very  sweet  thought,  father,"  she 
said.  "  What  a  care  and  anxiety  it  would  be  to 
us  to  have  to  choose  all  those  changes  for  our 
selves.  How  kind  in  the  dear  Lord  Jesus  to 
bid  his  disciples  to  take  no  thought — which  you 
have  explained  to  me  means  no  care  or  anxiety 
— for  the  morrow — telling  them  that  *  Suffi 
cient  unto  the  day  is  the  evil  thereof/  " 

"Yes;  and  when  troubled  with  cares  and 
fears  for  the  future  we  may  be  sure  that  it  is 


322  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

because  we  are  lacking  in  that  faith  which 
trusts  all  in  his  hands." 

"  Oh,  I  want  that  faith!  "  she  exclaimed  ear 
nestly,  though  her  voice  was  low  and  sweet. 
"  Papa,  pray  for  me  that  I  may  have  it." 

"I  will,  daughter,  I  do,"  he  said;  "there  is 
nothing  I  desire  more  strongly  for  you  and  all 
my  dear  children  than  that." 

They  were  silent  for  a  moment,  then  she 
asked,  "Where  are  we  now,  papa?  and  to  what 
port  bound  as  the  first?  " 

£  We  are  nearing  Delaware  Bay,"  he  replied, 
"  anfl  expect  to  pass  up  it  and  the  river  to  Phila 
delphia,  where  we  will  add  Grandpa  and  Grand 
ma  Dinsmore -to  our  party,  then  come  down  and 
round  the  southern  part  of  New  Jersey  and  on 
up  the  eastern  coast  to  Atlantic  City.  Eooms 
have  been  engaged  for  us  at  Haddon  Hall  and 
there  we  purpose  staying  for  perhaps  a  fort 
night,  then  we  think  of  going  on  up  the  New 
England  coast,  perhaps  as  far  as  Bar  Harbor 
in  Maine." 

"Oh,  I  like  that  plan,"  she  said;  "for  we 
have  never  yet  visited  either  of  those  places, 
and  I  have  wanted  to  see  them  both." 


ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  323 

"I  shall  be  glad  to  give  you  that  pleasure, 
daughter,"  he  said.  "  Now  it  is  high  time  you 
were  in  bed  and  asleep;  so  bid  me  good-night 
and  go." 

Our  travellers  reached  Philadelphia  the  next 
day,  took  on  board  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dinsmore, 
passed  down  the  river  and  bay  again,  and  up  the 
Atlantic  coast  to  the  city  of  that  name,  as  the 
captain  had  planned. 

They  were  charmed  with  their  quarters; 
rooms  near  the  sea — looking  out  directly  upon 
it — with  a  private  porch  where  they  coulcL^it 
and  enjoy  the  breeze  and  an  extended  vi?w  of 

•  » 

the  ocean,  watching  the  vessels  pass  and  repass, 
outward  bound  or  coming  from  distant  ports 
to  the  harbors  farther  up  the  coast.  Strolling 
along  the  broad  plank  walk,  four  jniles  in 
length  and  close  to  the  sea,  was  another  pleas 
ure;  as  were  also  the  driving  down  on  the  beach 
at  low  tide,  and  the  little  excursions  out  to 
Longport  and  other  adjacent  villages. 

Most  of  the  days  were  spent  in  making  these 
little  trips — sometimes  in  carriages,  at  others  in 
the  electric  cars — and  the  evenings  in  wander 
ing  by  moonlight  along  the  board  walk. 


324  ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

There  were  various  places  of  innocent  amuse 
ment  too — such  as  the  Japanese  garden  and  the 
piers,  where  seals  and  other  curiosities  were  on 
exhibition. 

They  found  the  table  excellent  and  every 
thing  about  the  establishment  homelike,  neat, 
and  refined,  and  their  hostess  so  agreeable,  so 
charming,  that  their  only  regret  was  that  they 
saw  so  little  of  her — so  many  were  the  calls 
upon  her  time  and  attention. 

"  She  certainly  must  need  an  occasional  rest," 
said  Grandma  Elsie  one  day,  talking  with  Vio 
let  and  the  captain,  "  and  we  must  invite  her  to 
pay  us  a  visit  in  our  southern  homes." 

To  that  proposal  both  Captain  Eaymond 
'and  Violet  gave  an  unqualified  assent,  saying 
that  they  would  be  pleased  indeed  to  entertain 
her. 

A  fortnight  was  spent  there  most  pleasantly, 
after  which  the  Dolphin  carried  them  up  the 
coast  to  Bar  Harbor,  where  we  will  leave  them 
for  the  present. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  IT 

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